Oo . J/ 


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X. 


PRINCETON.  N.  J. 


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JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


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I III'.  KWANNON  \l  ASAKl’SA 


JAPAN 
& THE  JAPANESE 


WALTER  TYNDALE 


WITH  THIRTY-TWO  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOUR 
BY  THE  AUTHOR 


NEW  YORK 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1910 


u i 


PREFACE 


~|~  FEEL  that  I need  some  justifieation  for 
adding  to  the  number  of  books  written  on 
Japan,  a country  which  has  been  described  by 
writers  of  great  literary  ability  whose  long 
residence  in  the  country  has  familiarized  them 
with  its  people,  their  institutions,  and  their 
everyday  life. 

The  outward  appearance  of  things  is  what, 
of  necessity,  concerns  the  painter  most ; but 
whilst  in  search  of  artistic  material  amongst 
the  gardens  and  habitations  of  so  interesting  a 
people,  the  painter,  too,  could  not  fail  to  get  an 
insight  into  much  that  the  outward  appearance 
suggests. 

It  was  my  pri\dlege  to  make  the  acquaintance 


vi  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


and  even  to  win  the  friendship  of  many  Japanese, 
who  not  only  with  gi-eat  kindness  made  me 
welcome  to  their  homes,  hut  also  gave  me 
information  on  many  subjects  which  may  prove 
of  interest  to  readers,  both  to  those  who  have 
themselves  paid  a flying  visit  to  Japan,  and 
also  to  those,  less  fortunate  in  this  respect,  who 
have  watched  with  interest  the  development 
of  that  country  and  its  increasingly  friendly 
relations  with  our  own. 

I take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  the  owners 
of  beautiful  gardens  which  I was  allow'ed  to 
paint  as  illustrations  to  a second  book.  To  see 
and  paint  these  was,  indeed,  a main  object  of  my 
voyage  to  the  Far  East.  This  book  is  now 
being  written  by  Mr.  Basil  Taylor,  and  will  be 
published  next  year. 

I also  thank  the  European  residents  for 
the  hospitality  and  the  valuable  information  they 
gave  me.  Lastly,  I wish  to  express  my  thanks 
— and  how  can  I do  so  sufficiently? — to  those 
whose  works  were  my  constant  companions 


PREFACE 


vii 

while  cut  off  from  current  literature — to  the  late 
Lafcadio  Hearn,  to  A.  B.  Mitford  (now  Lord 
Redesdale),  and  to  Professor  Basil  Hall  Chamber- 
lain,  who  first  awoke  my  interest  in  “ Things 
Japanese.” 


W.  T. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP-l'ER  PAGE 

I.  ARRIVAL  AT  MOJI  AND  THE  INLAND  SEA  - 1 

II.  KOBE  - - - - - 15 

III.  KOBE  (continued)  - - - - - 32 

IV.  KYOTO  - - - - - - 45 

V.  KYOTO  (continued)  - - - - 58 

VI.  KYOTO  (continued)  - - - - 73 

VII.  THE  OLEANDER  - - - - - 83 

VIII.  THE  JUDAS-TREE  AND  POMEGRANATE  - - 92 

IX.  THE  LOTUS  - - - - - 108 

X.  JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI  - - - 126 

XL  SHOJI  142 

XII.  JOURNEY  TO  KOFU  - - - - 157 

XIII.  KOFU  - - - - - 166 

XIV.  JOURNEY  TO  HAKONE  - - - - 185 

XV.  HAKONE  - - - - - - 192 

XVI.  HAKONE  (continued)  ....  204 

XVII.  NIKKO  223 

XVIII.  NIKKO  (continued)  - - - - 241 

XIX.  TOKYO  259 

XX.  TOKYO  (continued)  - - - - 274 

XXL  ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  - - - 293 

INDEX  313 


IX 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


1.  THE  KWANNON  AT  ASAKUSA 

- 

- 

Frontispiece 

2.  THE  BIRTHDAY  OF  THE  BOYS 

- 

- 

- 

8 

3.  THE  APPROACH  TO  IKUTA  TEMPLE 

- 

- 

- 

18 

4.  CHERRY-TREES  AT  ARIMA  - 

- 

- 

- 

26 

5.  AN  AZALEA  GARDEN 

- 

- 

- 

36 

6.  THE  SHRINE  OF  INARI  AT  KOBE 

- 

- 

- 

42 

7.  APPROACH  TO  A RUSTIC  SHRINE 

- 

- 

- 

54 

8,  THE  IRISES  AT  KITANO 

- 

- 

- 

72 

9.  THE  OLEANDER 

- 

- 

- 

82 

10.  THE  JUDAS-TREE 

- 

- 

- 

92 

11.  THE  POMEGRANATE  - 

- 

- 

- 

102 

12.  LOTUSES 

- 

- 

- 

110 

13.  GEISHAS 

- 

- 

- 

120 

14.  FUJIYAMA  FROM  SHOJI 

- 

- 

- 

128 

15.  A HOMESTEAD  NEAR  SHOJI  - 

- 

- 

- 

136 

16.  THE  COMMUNAL  SHRINE 

- 

- 

- 

146 

17.  FUJIYAMA  - 

- 

- 

- 

156 

18.  A RAINY  DAY  AT  MOTOSU  - 

- 

- 

- 

164 

19.  MOTO-H^\KONE 

- 

- 

- 

174 

20.  THE  BOZEN  KAKU  GARDEN  - 

- 

- 

- 

182 

21.  A MOUNTAIN  HAMLET 

- 

- 

- 

190 

22.  ROKUDO-NO-JIZO 

- 

. 

198 

XI 


xii  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


PAGE 

23.  HAKONE  LAKE  . . . - - 208 

24.  THE  BRONZE  JIZO  AT  HAKONE  - - - 218 

25.  THE  SHRINE  OF  lEMlTSU  - - - - 226 

26.  A SHRINE  AT  NIKKO  ....  236 

27.  FUDO  ------  246 

28.  AUTUMN  FOLIAGE  -----  256 

29.  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  -----  264 

30.  MAPLES  - - - . - - 274 

31.  A COTTAGE  AT  ATAMI  - - - - 284 

32.  A PLUM  ORCHARD  -----  294 


JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


ARRIVAL  AT  MO.TI  AND  THE  INLAND  SEA 


HE  rising  sun  threw  a disc  of  golden  light 


on  the  panelling  facing  the  porthole  of  my 
cabin.  The  throb  of  the  propeller  had  ceased, 
making  other  noises  more  audible.  These 
awakened  me  from  my  sleep,  and  also  to  the 
joyful  fact  that  at  last  we  had  reached  Moji,  our 
first  port  of  call  in  the  land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 

Though  I had  come  to  this  country  to  spend 
the  best  part  of  a twelvemonth,  I could  not  defer 
getting  my  first  peep  of  it  a minute  longer.  It 
was  only  half-past  four  in  the  morning,  yet  all 
was  in  motion  on  deck.  Lighters,  laden  with  a 
greasy-looking  coal,  were  being  made  fast  to 
each  side  of  the  ship,  and  the  queerest-looking 
little  people  were  busy  erecting  bamboo  scaffold- 
ing from  these  lighters  up  to  the  main-deck. 


CHAPTER  I 


2 JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


How  they  were  going  to  get  the  coal  on  board 
puzzled  me  at  the  time.  Instead  of  a sloping 
gangway,  they  were  constructing  a series  of  little 
platforms,  five  or  six  feet  one  above  the  other, 
and  fastened  to  the  ship  in  the  most  ingenious 
manner.  In  a very  short  while  an  agile  little 
fellow  stood  on  each  platform,  and,  one  after  the 
other,  thousands  of  little  baskets  full  of  coal  were 
passed  up  from  hand  to  hand  and  emptied  into 
the  bunkers.  A woman  stood  at  the  head  of 
each  of  these  erections  to  throw  the  empty 
baskets  back  into  the  lighters.  Six  hundred 
tons  were  to  be  taken  in  before  we  could  proceed, 
and  since  the  baskets  were  scarcely  larger  than  a 
bowler  hat,  I feared  that  we  should  be  stuck  at 
Moji  for  some  days. 

A notice  was  posted  up  that  no  photographs 
were  to  be  taken,  as  we  were  near  some  fortifica- 
tions. I had  not  the  consolation  that  I should 
be  able  to  fill  up  the  time  by  making  a sketch  or 
two.  Captain  Peters,  who  commanded  the  good 
ship  Somali,  was  ever  ready  to  accommodate  his 
passengers  in  any  way  consistent  wdth  his  duty, 
and  when  he  forbade  sketching-things  or  cameras 
to  leave  the  ship,  we  felt  sure  that  he  had  good 
reasons  for  doing  so.  He  consoled  us,  however. 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOJI 


3 


with  the  assurance  that  before  dusk  we  should 
be  ready  to  proceed  to  Kobe. 

Foggy  weather  had  followed  us  all  the  way 
from  Shanghai,  and  after  four  weeks  in  the  tropics 
we  had  felt  the  cold  bitterly.  To  see  the  sun  again 
and  feel  its  warmth  as  the  morning  advanced  put 
the  few  remaining  passengers  in  the  best  of 
spirits,  and  we  were  all  agog  to  get  ashore. 
When  the  launch  was  ready  to  start,  Moji  still 
lay  in  the  shadow  of  the  hills  that  back  it,  and 
the  sun  struck  fully  on  Shimonoseki,  a mile 
away  on  the  northern  side  of  the  strait.  We 
decided  on  Moji  first,  lea\ing  Shimonoseki  till 
after  tiffin.  Now,  as  the  former  is  little  more 
than  a coaling-station,  I expected  to  find  it  very 
much  Europeanized,  and  was  well  prepared 
against  being  disappointed.  On  leaving  the 
quay,  which  certainly  savoured  of  the  Occident, 
we  turned  up  the  main  street,  which  was  as 
.Japanese  as  anjdhing  we  could  wish  to  see. 

The  little  town  was  en  fete : it  was  the  fifth  of 
May,  on  which  the  birthdays  of  aU  the  little 
boys  are  kept.  Huge  paper  or  cotton  carps 
hung  from  long  bamboo  poles.  The  wind, 
entering  at  the  open  mouths  of  these  fish,  inflates 
them,  and  they  sway  about  somewhat  in  the  way 


4 


JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


they  would  in  their  natural  element.  The  idea 
is  that,  as  the  carp  overcomes  all  obstacles  in 
going  upstream,  so  the  boy  will  have  to  fight 
his  way  in  the  world  to  rise  to  fame  and  fortune. 
No  school  that  day  for  the  lads  ; they  were  at 
liberty  to  follow  us  about  and  stare  at  the 
foreigners.  One  of  our  party  was  a man  of 
many  inches.  He  would  strike  anyone  in 
London  as  being  exceptionally  taU,  but  here  it 
was  as  if  a giant  had  turned  up  for  the  children’s 
amusement.  They  were  well-behaved,  barring 
the  staring;  but  this,  I have  since  discovered, 
is  not  considered  rude  — which  is  unfortunate 
for  anyone  who  proposes  sketching  in  the 
streets. 

Most  of  the  shops  looked  as  if  they  dealt  in 
Japanese  curios,  and  it  was  hard  to  realize  that 
these  articles  were  not  displayed  to  seU  to 
tourists.  They  were,  in  truth,  but  the  many 
quaint  little  things  which  are  in  daily  use  here. 
The  foodstuffs  were  mostly  fish — queer-looking 
creatures  some  of  them — and  would  have  looked 
more  in  place  in  spirits  on  a museum  shelf; 
others  resembled  to  a remarkable  degree  their 
counterfeit  presentments  which  were  floating 
from  the  bamboo  poles. 


ARRIVAL  AT  MO.TI 


5 


I was  delighted  not  to  see  a vestige  of  European 
clothing,  either  for  sale  or  on  any  of  the  people, 
except  on  a five-foot-nothing  policeman. 

But  for  the  substantial  roofs  the  dwellings 
suggested  dolls’-houses,  and  the  infants  looked 
for  all  the  world  like  dolls  I had  seen  at  Liberty’s 
come  to  life.  Half  the  population  had  babies 
slung  on  their  backs — hardly  a girl  or  woman 
without  one — and  some  of  the  little  girls,  who 
were  scarcely  more  than  babies  themselves,  were 
getting  into  training  with  a doll  tied  on  in  the 
same  manner.  Baby-carrying  is  not  confined  to 
the  gentler  sex  either,  for  I saw  many  a boy  with 
a baby  peeping  over  his  shoulder,  and  he  would 
play  at  tipcat  or  hopscotch  quite  regardless  of 
his  human  burden. 

The  women  did  not  look  to  me  as  if  they  had 
stepped  out  of  a screen,  as  Pierre  Loti  describes 
them,  for  they  suggested  hard  work  more  than 
ornament.  The  type  which  he  describes  does 
exist,  but  is  not  often  met  with  amongst  the 
workaday  folk. 

tVhat  adds  not  a little  to  the  picturesqueness 
of  a Japanese  street  are  the  Chinese  characters 
in  which  all  is  written.  A soap  or  pill  advertise- 
ment, boldly  painted  in  this  lettering,  decorates 


6 


JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


rather  than  vulgarises  the  space  which  it  occupies. 
Not  being  able  to  read  it  may  have  something 
to  do  ^\dth  this. 

There  are  no  “ sights  ” to  be  done  at  Moji,  so  we 
could  spend  all  our  time  looking  into  the  shops ; 
could  see  the  women  preparing  their  dinners, 
having  their  hair  dressed — a serious  busmess  this 
— the  men  plying  their  various  trades,  and  the 
hundred  little  things  which  go  to  make  up  the 
life  in  a small  town.  On  a fine  day  the  paper 
slides  are  all  thrown  open,  and  everything  is  done 
in  view  of  the  public.  As  it  is  not  considered 
rude  to  watch  anyone  at  his  work,  there  was 
constant  entertainment.  This  is  often  inter- 
esting nearer  home,  but  here  in  this  land  of  topsy- 
turveydom  it  is  especially  so. 

The  carpenter  surprised  me  by  drawing  his 
saw  towards  him  instead  of  thrustmg  it  through 
the  wood.  He  also  drew  his  plane  instead  of 
pushing  it  forward.  Some  builders  at  work 
were  constructing  the  roof  before  the  founda- 
tions of  the  house  were  laid.  Some  country- 
women wore  trousers,  while  some  of  the  men 
wore  skirts.  Nearly  every  house  which  w’e  saw 
here  and  at  Shimonoseki  was  a shop  of  sorts, 
yet  most  of  the  articles  with  which  we  are 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOJI 


7 


familiar  were  not  to  be  seen.  No  butcher,  no 
baker,  and  a paper-lantern  shop  took  the  place 
of  the  candlestick  maker.  The  greengrocer  had 
hardly  a familiar  vegetable  on  his  stall — seaweed 
took  the  place  of  cabbages  ; bamboo  shoots  were 
in  lieu  of  carrots  ; a white  root  two  and  more  feet 
long,  I was  informed,  was  a radish.  The  toy- 
shops were  perhaps  the  most  entertaining,  and 
being  the  birthday  of  the  boys,  trade  was  brisker 
than  usual. 

I said  above  that  hairdressing  was  a serious 
business.  We  passed  the  coiffeur  again  an 
hour  or  more  later,  and  the  same  lady  was  still 
sitting  there,  with  a little  hand-mirror,  suggesting 
various  amendments,  which  were  being  discussed 
both  by  the  operator  and  by  the  onlookers.  This 
is  so  lengthy  a process  that  the  humbler  classes 
can  only  afford  to  undergo  it  once  a week.  The 
women  therefore  sleep  without  a pillow,  substi- 
tuting for  it  a wooden  head-rest,  which  fits  under 
the  neck  and  does  not  disarrange  the  hair.  The 
age,  state,  and  station  in  life  can  be  told  by  the 
way  it  is  dressed.  Hat  or  bonnet  does  not  exist, 
so  what  the  women  spend  at  the  hairdresser’s  is 
more  than  compensated  for  in  lessening  the 
milliner’s  account.  Jet-black  is  the  only  colour. 


8 JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


and  with  the  help  of  oil  the  hair  shines  like  a 
newly-blacked  boot. 

Beyond  the  shop  may  be  seen  the  living-room 
of  the  proprietor,  unless  the  shoji,  or  paper 
slides,  be  closed.  All  is  raised  some  two  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  while  making  a purchase 
the  buyer  can  sit  on  the  edge  of  this  platform  ; 
should  he  wish  to  go  further  in,  he  must  take  off 
his  boots.  The  cleanliness  and  good-humour  of 
the  Japanese  is  perhaps  what  strikes  the  foreigner 
more  than  anything  else. 

We  were  fortunate  in  landing  on  a fine  day, 
for  first  impressions  are  more  precious  than  many 
which  a longer  stay  can  produce. 

We  devoted  the  afternoon  to  Shimonoseki, 
which  is  considerably  larger  than  Moji ; but  the 
size  of  a town  in  Japan  seems  to  bear  no  relation 
to  the  size  and  importance  of  its  streets  and 
buildings.  The  houses  were  as  small  and  the 
shops  as  modest  as  those  of  her  neighbours 
across  the  strait.  The  only  sign  of  the  Euro- 
peanization which  has  been  going  on  now  for 
forty  years  past  was  the  station  and  a hotel  for 
foreigners.  These  were  built  in  solid  materials, 
whereas  all  the  other  houses  were  wooden- 
framed. 


THE  mRTHOAY  OE  THE  BOVS 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOJI 


9 


I am  forgetting  the  telegraph-poles  ; these  are 
in  every  to^vn  and  village.  At  home  we  seldom 
see  one  in  a street,  but  here  they  are  as  plentiful 
as  lamp-posts,  and  more  obtrusive  than  in  Europe 
from  being  so  much  taller  than  the  houses. 
Except  for  the  small  boys,  who  were  celebrating 
their  birthdays  with  trumpet  and  drum,  the 
streets  were  quiet.  No  horses  were  to  be  seen, 
and  the  only  conveyances  were  jinrickshas.  A 
bicycle  ridden  by  a youth  in  kimono  and 
wooden  clogs,  with  a Chinese  lantern  nearly  as 
big  as  himself,  looked  somewhat  incongruous. 

Shimonoseki  is  an  old  town,  but  in  its 
outward  appearance  there  is  nothing  to  suggest 
this.  The  life  of  a Japanese  dwelling  is  seldom 
more  than  a generation ; even  the  temples  have 
to  be  renewed  so  often  that  there  is  seldom 
anything  of  the  original  left  if  they  date  back 
more  than  a couple  of  centuries.  In  doing  the 
sights  of  a European  city,  it  is  usual  to  seek  the 
oldest  parts,  and  the  buildings  lose  in  interest  as 
they  get  nearer  to  our  own  times.  This  is  not 
so  in  .lapan  ; age  adds  little  beauty  to  a Japanese 
house,  and  the  temples  lose  more  than  they  gain 
in  appearance  by  the  lapse  of  time.  With  the 
setting  of  the  latter  it  is,  of  course,  different,  for 


10  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


age  is  necessary  to  produce  the  magnificent  ever- 
greens, and  to  clothe  the  stone  balustrades  and 
lanterns  with  moss  and  lichen. 

How  much  the  town  was  knocked  about 
during  the  bombardment  in  1864  it  is  hard  to 
say,  for  there  is  probably  not  a house  dating 
previously  to  that. 

Let  us  hope  that  the  combined  fleets  of  Great 
Britain,  France,  the  United  States,  and  Holland, 
expended  their  ammunition  only  on  the  forts 
which  were  there.  A few  rockets  and  some 
stones  might  have  sufficed  to  destroy  the  town. 
This  use  of  a steam-hammer  to  crack  an  egg, 
known  as  the  “ Shimonoseki  affair,”  had  a far- 
reaching  effect  on  the  history  of  this  country. 
It  destroyed  the  power  of  the  Shoganate.  Four 
years  later  the  constitution  of  the  country  was 
reorganized,  and  the  Mikado  ceased  to  be  a mere 
puppet  in  the  hands  of  the  Shogun,  as  his  for- 
bears had  been  for  seven  centuries  past.  Modern 
Japan  dates  from  this  the  year  of  Meiji;  1862  is 
the  first  year  of  the  new  era. 

Paper  lanterns  were  lit  and  paper  slides  were 
closed  when  we  got  on  the  launch  to  return  to 
the  Somali.  What  struck  us  in  the  full  light  of 
day  as  pretty,  quaint,  and  ingenious  became 


ARRIVAL  AT  MOJI 


11 


grand  as  seen  from  some  distance  and  in  the 
light  of  a glorious  sunset. 

The  pulsation  of  the  ship’s  propeller  soon 
made  us  aware  that  we  were  on  our  way  to 
Kobe.  It  was  consoling  that  the  first  sixty 
miles  of  the  inland  sea  is  the  least  interesting,  so 
that  we  would  not  lose  much  during  the  night. 
Rising  early  next  morning,  we  found  ourselves 
well  among  the  numerous  islands  (several 
thousand  according  to  the  Japanese)  which  give 
to  this  sea  its  unique  character.  Some  are 
large  and  mountainous,  with  fishing  villages 
studding  the  shores,  whilst  others  are  little  more 
than  projecting  rocks,  with  a few  fantastically- 
shaped  pines  outlined  against  the  sky.  We  never 
lost  sight  of  them  during  the  day  ; sometimes, 
both  on  the  port  and  starboard  sides,  could  we 
see  the  inhabitants,  and  in  one  instance  the 
channel  narrowed  down  to  within  a ship’s  length. 

Volcanic  islands  have  a distinctive  character, 
and  resemble  each  other  to  a great  extent,  yet 
tliere  is  a something  in  these  which  suggests 
.lapan  and  no  other  country.  Is  it  that  the 
twisted  pines  and  curiously-shaped  rocks  have 
figured  so  often  in  Japanese  prints,  or  is  it 
merely  that  they  form  the  background  to  the 


12  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


numerous  trading-junks  and  fishing-craft  which 
have  so  strong  an  impress  of  this  country  ? 

The  colour  seemed  more  intense  than  that  of 
the  Mediterranean  Isles  as  I remember  them  ; 
the  day  may  have  been  especially  favourable  in 
that  respect.  There  was  so  much  to  see  from 
both  sides  of  the  ship  that  we  felt  the  want  of  an 
interval.  When  the  bell  rang  for  tiffin  we  were 
satiated  with  islands,  and  allowed  them  to  slip 
by  without  taking  a glance  through  the  port- 
holes. 

A slight  mist  changed  the  whole  aspect  during 
the  afternoon.  The  rocks  were  not  now  cut  up 
into  patches  of  light  and  shade,  but  loomed  up  in 
bold  silhouettes  against  the  grey,  often  taking 
the  most  grotesque  shapes.  One  would  suggest 
the  form  of  a dragon,  another  some  character  in 
“ Les  Contes  Drollatiques,”  or  some  of  those 
huge  heads  without  which  no  pantomime  seems 
complete.  The  profile  of  a well-known  states- 
man of  a passing  generation  figured  prominently, 
and  I saw  once  more  in  fancy  an  old  lady  of 
whom  1 stood  in  awe  as  a small  boy,  a pine 
doing  duty  for  the  frilling  of  her  cap.  As  the 
sun  sank  behind  a bank  of  fog  that  lay  nearer 
the  horizon  the  channel  widened,  the  islands 


ARRIV^AL  AT  MOJI 


13 


gi’adually  disappeared  till  only  a few  mountain- 
tops,  which  caught  the  light  from  the  setting  sun, 
were  visible. 

Before  turning  in,  our  course  lay  close  to  the 
shore  of  Shikoku,  the  large  island  that  shuts  off 
the  inland  sea  from  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The 
coast-line  here  tvists  about  in  such  an  extra- 
ordinary manner  that  none  save  the  pilot  could 
tell  what  was  mainland  and  what  were  islands. 
The  latter  increased  in  number  as  we  advanced, 
and  occasionally  the  Somali  seemed  to  be  steam- 
ing straight  into  the  rocks  ; she  would,  however, 
get  within  a few  hundred  yards  of  the  lighthouse, 
then,  rapidly  changing  her  course,  enter  a channel 
which  had  been  invisible  to  us  till  then. 

The  mist  diffused  the  light  of  the  moon  ; the 
high  land  around  us  showed  clearly  against  the 
sky ; where  land  and  water  met  could  only  be 
told  by  the  lights  on  iimumerable  fishing-craft 
which  lay  fast  to  their  nets.  The  buoys  attached 
to  these  nets  also  carried  a light.  Some  reached 
to  within  a few  yards  of  our  ship  ; but  the  course 
of  the  steamers  is  well  known  by  the  fisher-folk, 
and  I was  told  that  it  rarely  happened  that  any 
nets  got  fouled. 

I'he  day  had  been  full  of  interest.  What  we 


14  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


had  witnessed  by  the  light  of  the  sun  was  as 
nothing  compared  to  the  beauty  now  seen  by  the 
light  of  a hazy  moon.  Rocks  glided  past  us, 
sharp-cut  against  the  sky,  and  lost  in  the  mist 
below,  now  hiding,  now  revealing  dimmer  and 
more  graceful  outlines  of  mountains  beyond. 

The  fishermen’s  lights  in  the  distance,  Ijfing 
still  like  glow-worms,  swayed  gently  about  as 
they  neared  our  ship,  dimly  lighting  the  craft  to 
which  they  were  fixed,  or  masked  by  the  dark 
form  of  the  man  on  watch. 

These  things  combined  to  make  a picture 
never,  I fear,  to  be  adequately  painted  or 
described  by  the  writer  who  gazed  on  it  from  the 
silent  deck. 

I was  loath  to  leave  so  enchanting  a scene, 
but  the  lateness  of  the  hour  and  the  increasing 
cold  compelled  me  to  turn  in. 


CHAPTER  11 

KOBE 

OBE  faced  us  as  we  got  on  deck  the  next 
morning.  VVe  lay  opposite  the  foreign 
settlement.  The  poetic  vdsion  of  the  previous 
night  was  replaced  by  a prosaic  European  town. 

I was  glad  to  reach  the  end  of  my  voyage  ; 
but  each  look  at  this  prosperous  and  common- 
place-looking town  made  my  heart  sink  farther 
within  me.  The  idea  that  I had  travelled  ten 
thousand  miles  and  more  to  paint  this  added  a 
grim  humour  to  my  depression. 

The  worries  of  packing,  the  question  of  tips, 
the  landing  and  Custom-house  formalities,  had 
their  use  in  diverting  my  thoughts. 

Some  letters  of  introduction  obliged  me  to 
halt  at  Kobe,  and  1 soon  found  myself  installed 
in  a large  European  hotel,  “ replete  with  every 
comfort,”  but  with  nothing  in  it  to  remind  me  of 
Japan,  except  some  waiters  whose  features  ill- 

15 


16  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


harmonized  with  the  Western  clothes  which  they 
wore. 

The  fear  that  I had  got  to  Japan  too  late  for 
the  cherry-blossom  took  away  my  appetite  for  an 
excellently  prepared  lunch,  and  the  dining-room, 
which  the  manager  informed  me  was  the  largest 
east  of  Suez,  but  which  only  contained  one  guest 
besides  myself,  added  to  my  depression.  I asked 
about  the  cherry-blossom,  only  to  hear  that  there 
had  been  very  little  this  year,  and  that  the  stormy 
weather  had  dispersed  it  all.  “Is  the  wistaria 
over  ?”  I asked,  in  the  voice  one  asks  a dentist 
whether  the  tooth  should  come  out  or  not. 
“ No.”  He  thought  he  had  seen  some  some- 
where, but  could  not  exactly  recall  the  place. 
Seeing  my  distress,  he  went  to  make  some 
inquiries,  and  found  out  that  the  cherry  was 
still  in  blossom  at  Arima,  a hill-station  some 
twenty  miles  north  of  Kobe.  I decided  to  go 
there  the  very  next  morning,  devoting  my  after- 
noon to  calling  on  the  people  to  whom  I had 
letters,  and  hunting  for  wistaria  at  the  same 
time. 

The  kind  reception  given  me  by  the  Consul 
and  his  charming  wife  revived  my  spirits,  and 
a pretty  subject  in  a non-Europeanized  part  of 


KOBE 


17 


the  town  made  me  feel  again  that  life  was  worth 
living.  It  was  a temple  approach,  with  a purple 
patch  of  wistaria  just  in  the  right  place.  The 
wistaria  looked  not  yet  fully  out,  so  I felt  that 
this  could  wait  a day  or  two,  but  that  Arima 
must  be  reached  as  soon  as  possible.  I ran  across 
my  late  cabin  companion,  the  man  of  many 
inches,  whom  I have  mentioned  before.  Since 
he  and  a young  naval  officer,  also  a fellow-pas- 
senger, expressed  a wish  to  see  Arima,  arrange- 
ments were  soon  made,  and  at  an  early  hour  the 
next  morning  we  found  ourselves  in  the  train, 
which  circles  round  the  base  of  the  range  of  hills 
which  backs  Kobe. 

We  had  the  promise  of  a lovely  day,  and  it 
was  cold  enough  to  enjoy  the  warmth  of  the  sun 
slanting  in  at  the  carriage  windows.  There  must 
have  been  some  fair  on  in  a neighbouring  town, 
for  when  we  stopped  at  the  first  station  after 
leaving  the  European  settlement  the  train 
crowded  up  with  people  of  both  sexes  and  all 
ages.  Wffien  the  third-class  compartments  were 
packed  till  there  w'as  hardly  standing  room,  they 
filled  up  the  seconds,  and  those  least  in  a hurry 
were  finally  accommodated  in  the  first-class 
carriages.  A certain  feeling  of  awe  seemed  to 


18  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


overcome  the  holiday-makers  as  they  gazed  at 
the  unwonted  luxury  around  them,  and  when 
this  wore  off  we  came  in  for  a good  deal  of  their 
attention.  When  the  man  of  many  inches  hap- 
pened to  rise,  all  eyes  went  to  the  ceiling  to  see 
if  he  would  bump  his  head. 

Sitting  %vith  their  feet  hanging  down  seemed 
to  give  them  the  fidgets,  and  presently  the 
boldest  one  would  drop  his  getas  (the  wooden 
clogs  they  wear),  and  tuck  his  feet  under  him 
on  the  cushion.  The  others  soon  followed  suit, 
and  a row  of  clogs  lined  the  floor. 

The  get  a is  so  characteristic  a form  of  footgear 
that  it  deserves  some  elucidation.  It  varies  con- 
siderably— so  much  so  that,  without  being  a 
Sherlock  Holmes,  it  was  easy  to  gauge  the  status 
of  the  wearer  after  a little  examination.  A stout 
piece  of  wood,  the  size  and  shape  more  or  less  of 
the  sole  of  a boot,  is  raised  from  the  ground  by 
two  pieces  jointed  in  underneath  and  crosswise 
to  the  grain  of  the  wood.  Should  the  wearer  be 
a lady  below  the  height  considered  the  proper 
one  for  her  sex,  she  can  add  two  or  three  inches 
to  her  stature  by  means  of  these  slips.  Where 
the  latter  are  barely  sufficient  to  protect  her 
white  tabi  from  the  mud,  you  may  feel  sure  that 


AI’I'KOACII  TO  IKUTA  TIAIIM.K 


i * 


7^ 


»■  . 


n 

I 


I 

I ' ■■■ 


KOBE 


19 


the  owner  is  tall  enough  not  to  require  this 
assistance.  Two  straps  are  so  fixed  that  they 
give  the  foot  a good  grip,  very  much  as  in  the 
classic  sandal. 

The  tahi  is  a canvas  sock,  digitated  like  a one- 
fingered glove,  and  allows  the  strap  to  pass 
between  the  big  and  second  toes.  Some  getas 
have  a leather  covering  for  the  toes,  and  are  ordy 
worn  in  wet  weather.  The  well-to-do  have  soles 
of  prettily-plaited  straw,  and  have  red  silk  cover- 
ings to  the  straps,  while  the  soles  of  the  poorer 
folk  have  nothing  between  the  hard  clog  and 
their  socks.  The  construction  is  also  modified 
to  suit  a short  or  long  journey.  Where  a long 
distance  has  to  be  walked,  the  slips  of  wood 
which  raise  the  clog  are  replaced  by  short  thick 
clumps. 

I discovered  later  that  fashion  plays  its  part 
here  as  well  as  in  other  articles  of  apparel.  The 
Kyoto  geisha  would  not  be  seen  cluttering  about 
the  streets  in  similar  ones  to  those  her  sisters 
wear  in  Tokyo,  and  vice  versa. 

\^dlile  contemplating  this  footgear,  my  mind 
reverted  to  a similar  scene  outside  a shrine  in 
Upper  Egypt,  where  such  shoes  of  the  faithful 
as  were  not  worth  stealing  were  left.  What  a 


20  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


different  people,  and  what  different  eonditions 
of  living  they  suggested  ! Outside  that  shrine 
the  dusty  slippers  were  only  those  of  men  ; here, 
on  the  floor  of  the  railway- earriage,  the  elogs  of 
men,  women,  and  children  lay  as  labels  to  a 
strangely  different-looking  people,  squatting  in- 
discriminately on  the  bench  above.  The  un- 
familiar language,  instead  of  the  Ai-abic  which  I 
had  been  so  long  accustomed  to  hear  ; the  pleasant 
warmth  of  the  sun  as  it  shone  through  the  open 
window,  instead  of  bemg  carefully  shut  out  with 
double  blinds  ; the  absence  of  dust,  and  even 
the  mud  on  some  of  the  clogs,  all  made  me 
realize  how  far  the  Somali,  which  we  could  still 
see  in  Kobe  Harbour,  had  brought  us.  If  the 
contrast  inside  the  railway-carriage  was  striking, 
how  much  greater  was  it  in  looking  out ! Had 
I come  straight  from  England  the  green  hill- 
sides would  have  appeared  natural  enough,  but 
for  a long  time  past  I had  been  accustomed  to 
see  no  verdure  except  where  the  fertilizing  waters 
of  the  Nile  reached  during  its  flood. 

We  drew  up  at  a station,  the  name  of  which 
was  given  in  English  as  well  as  in  the  quaint 
Chinese  characters.  The  traveller  was  informed 
by  a painted  notice  underneath  that  he  was  a 


KOBE 


21 


mile  and  a quarter  from  a plum  garden ; other 
places  of  interest  were  also  given,  such  as  the 
tomb  of  some  poet  or  the  sacred  shrine  of  a god. 
Now  what  other  people  in  the  world  would  be 
sufficiently  interested  in  the  beauty  of  the 
blossoming  plum-tree  to  make  such  a notice 
opportune  ? At  other  stations  I saw  directions 
as  to  the  distance  of  a cherry  orchard,  of  a peony 
garden,  or  of  the  tomb  of  a couple  of  young  lovers 
who  had  ended  a hopeless  attachment  by  dying 
together.  There  were  probably  also  advertise- 
ments of  soaps  and  pills,  but  they  happily  were 
not  translated  into  English,  so  might,  as  far  as  I 
knew,  have  been  Buddhist  texts  or  quotations 
from  the  poets  anent  the  beauty  of  the  sur- 
rounding landscape. 

As  the  line  circled  round  the  base  of  the  hills, 
the  sea  and  the  low-lying  rice-fields  got  cut  off' 
from  our  view  ; we  were  also  rising  considerably, 
and  on  reaching  Namaze,  our  last  station,  we 
found  ourselves  in  a beautiful  valley.  Rokkdzan 
dominated  the  mountains  lying  between  us  and 
Kobe. 

Here  we  engaged  rickshaws,  under  the  fond 
delusion  that  we  should  get  over  the  six  or  seven 
miles  still  to  be  traversed  rather  faster ; but  as 


22  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


there  was  barely  a level  stretch  of  road  the  whole 
way,  we  might  have  dispensed  with  these 
carriages.  There  was  a good  deal  of  talk  on  the 
part  of  the  rickshaw-men  before  we  started,  and 
from  various  signs  I gathered  that  the  one  of  our 
friend  of  many  inches  wanted  a second  man  to 
help  him  up  the  steeper  gradients.  This  was 
agreed  to,  but  as  the  sun  got  hotter  and  the 
road  steeper,  the  perspiring  little  kurumaya  had 
no  heavier  loads  to  draw  up  than  our  coats  and 
my  few  sketching  materials. 

It  was  a perfect  day.  A deep  blue  sky  was 
overhead,  with  sufficient  clouds  to  cast  line 
shadows  on  the  hills.  A mist  hung  about  the 
lower  part  of  the  valley,  gi^dng  the  hills  an 
appearance  of  height  which  in  reality  they  do 
not  reach.  Rokkozan  had  not  yet  lost  its  winter 
covering  of  snow,  and  looked  quite  a respectable 
mountain.  The  general  aspect  of  the  scenery 
reminded  me  of  some  parts  of  the  Pyrenees ; it 
was  in  the  detail  where  the  difference  lay  : the 
stone  Buddha  instead  of  the  crucifix  on  the  road- 
side, thatched  cottages  instead  of  the  gi’ey  slates, 
toy-like  water-mills  with  overshot  wheel  fed 
through  a long  bamboo,  the  scarlet  torii  at  the 
foot  of  a flight  of  stone  steps  leading  to  a Shinto 


KOBE 


23 


shrine  hid  in  the  clump  of  trees  above,  besides 
plants,  butterflies,  and  beetles  such  as  I had 
never  seen  in  Europe. 

These  and  many  other  things  brought  it  home 
to  me  how  far  I was  from  the  South  of  France, 
and  yet  farther  from  a little  spot  in  Surrey  of 
which  1 hardly  dared  to  think.  That  lump  in 
the  throat  which  only  the  homesick  know  had 
to  be  swallowed,  for  the  best  part  of  a year  in 
Japan  still  lay  before  me.  On  such  a day  as  this 
dismal  thoughts  are  soon  dispelled  ; the  more 
rarefied  air  as  we  approached  Arima,  and  the 
delights  of  a country  walk  after  the  long  con- 
finement on  ship-board,  filled  us  with  what  the 
French  express  so  well,  la  joie  de  vivre. 

The  little  town  was  much  more  picturesque 
than  I expected.  Having  heard  it  described  as  a 
summer  resort  of  the  Kobe  European  residents, 
I anticipated  villas  and  hotels  in  keeping  with 
the  plate-glass  shop-fronts  and  counting-houses 
of  the  settlement.  There  were  villas  and  also 
hotels,  but  they  were  all  Japanese  in  outward 
appearance. 

A little  country  house  built  in  the  native  style 
can  be  run  up  at  a quarter  or  less  of  the  cost  of 
a European  one  of  the  same  dimensions.  This 


24  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


has  saved  many  a pretty  place  from  being  spoilt, 
for  a Brixton  villa  here  would  look  as  much  out 
of  place  as  a Japanese  uchi  would  look  in 
Brixton.  The  name  of  the  inn  to  which  we  had 
been  recommended  had  slipped  our  memories, 
and  each  rickshaw- man  had  a different  one 
which  he  declared  was  the  best  ; this,  we 
knew,  meant  where  he  would  get  the  best  com- 
mission. 

A quaint  little  landlady,  with  three  giggling 
daughters,  welcomed  us  to  her  hostelry.  “ Euro- 
pean food,  no  take  off  boots,  speak  Eengris.”  I 
fancy  that  the  young  naval  officer  wished  to  hear 
how  much  “ Eengris  ” the  prettiest  of  the  three 
daughters  could  speak  ; we  therefore  decided  to 
lunch  here.  The  landlady  had  about  exhausted 
her  stock  of  English  in  her  opening  speech,  and 
the  daughters  we  found,  on  further  acquaintance, 
could  only  giggle  in  that  language.  We  followed 
one  of  these  “ three  little  maids  fmm  school  ” up 
a steep  flight  of  stairs.  The  giggling  developed 
into  a peal  of  laughter  when  the  man  of  many 
inches  bumped  his  head  against  the  ceiling.  I 
had  hardly  finished  laughing  myself  when  my 
cranium  came  in  contact  with  something  hard 
overhead,  and  I did  not  think  it  at  all  funny  ; 


KOBE 


25 


our  tall  friend  did,  however.  So  much  depends 
on  the  point  of  view. 

The  room  into  which  we  were  shown  was  that 
of  any  .Japanese  yadoya,  with  matted  floor, 
paper  slides,  and  shallow  recess  with  the  hanging 
kakemono.  A table  and  some  chairs  were  the 
only  evidence  of  its  being  a foreign  hotel.  It 
looked  foreign  enough  to  us,  but  not  foreign  in 
the  way  our  landlady  intended  it  to  look.  As  if 
to  prove  what  a European  establishment  it  really 
was,  one  of  the  little  maids  from  school  slid  back 
what  we  took  for  a wall,  to  allow  us  to  admire 
the  bedroom  beyond.  An  iron  bedstead,  about 
half  the  length  of  our  tall  friend,  stood  here  alone 
on  a large  space  of  matting,  vdth  not  a stick  of 
any  other  furniture  to  be  seen.  There  was 
something  almost  pathetic  about  this  solitary 
bedstead,  and  1 was  about  to  propose  raising  a 
fund  to  allow  us  to  add  some  article  or  other 
just  to  keep  it  company,  when  a cackling  and 
fluttering  of  fowls  diverted  our  attention. 

Our  lunch  was  apparently  only  being  caught. 
We  none  of  us  knew  exactly  how  long  it  takes 
to  cook  a fowl,  but  we  agreed  that  it  took  an 
appallingly  long  time.  They  hadn’t  even  suc- 
ceeded in  catching  the  lunch,  and  it  was  only 


26  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


when  the  three  little  maids  joined  forces  that 
they  were  able  to  drive  one  of  the  hens  into  an 
outhouse,  and  the  “ cawk,  cawk,  cawk  ” which 
followed  revived  our  hopes. 

To  our  surprise,  lunch  appeared  within  five 
minutes,  and  though  we  had  several  dishes,  there 
was  no  fowl.  Poached  eggs  formed  a part  of 
the  menu,  and  what  connection  there  was 
between  these  eggs  and  the  disturbance  in  the 
fowl-roost  I was  only  to  learn  on  another 
occasion,  when  a hen-wife,  being  short  of  an  egg, 
assisted  a dilatory  hen  in  her  “ accouchement  ” 
by  a kind  of  massage. 

This  little  imi  seemed  strange  to  me  then, 
but,  compared  with  a genuine  .Japanese  yadoya 
where  no  foreigners  are  expected,  it  was  ordinary 
enough. 

Now  for  the  cherry-blossom,  the  chief  object 
of  this  long  excursion. 

AVith  a good  deal  of  difficulty  we  got  the 
landlady  to  understand  for  what  1 was  searching, 
and  one  of  her  three  daughters  was  sent  with  us 
as  a guide.  At  every  turning  I hoped  to  see 
“ the  dazzling  mist  of  snowy  blossoms  clinging 
like  summer  cloud-fleece  about  every  branch  and 
twig,”  as  Lafcadio  Hearn  so  prettily  expresses  it. 


CHKKKV  TRIiKS  AT  AKIM  A 


KOBE 


27 


The  first  cherry-trees  which  we  found  were 
already  getting  into  leaf,  and  a sickening  feeling 
that  I had  reached  Japan  too  late  got  hold 
of  me. 

The  little  maid  beckoned  to  us  to  come  on, 
and  after  walking  round  to  the  north  side  of  a 
little  knoll,  we  saw,  to  our  delight,  two  graceful 
little  trees  still  in  full  bloom.  They  stood  near 
the  foot  of  a flight  of  stone  steps  leading  to  a 
Shinto  shrine  partly  hid  in  a grove  of  evergreens. 
The  pinky-white  blossom  differs  from  that  of 
the  edible  cheiTy  at  home,  being  double  and  very 
much  thicker,  and  forms  a more  solid  mass  of 
colour  and  light  against  the  darker  background. 

I soon  got  to  work,  for  there  were  but  two  or 
three  more  hours  of  daylight  left.  I bid  farewell 
to  my  two  companions,  who  were  anxious  to  get 
back  to  Kobe  before  sundown. 

I sketched  away  like  one  all  possessed.  It 
was  a delight  to  dip  my  brush  into  colour  again. 
'I'he  sight  of  the  pigments  put  me  in  spirits.  It 
was  like  meeting  old  friends  in  a strange  land. 
The  last  time  we  had  worked  together  they  were 
reproducing,  as  well  as  I could  persuade  them, 
the  barren  cliffs  which  encircle  Hatshepsu’s 
shrine  at  'fhebes.  With  what  a different  task 


28  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


they  were  to  help  me  now  ! Everything  I saw 
was  waking  up  from  its  winter’s  sleep — moss  and 
lichen  vied  with  each  other  in  covering  the  stone 
balustrade  and  steps,  which  were  the  only  things 
which  might  have  reminded  me  of  the  valley  in 
Upper  Egypt  I had  so  lately  left. 

The  falling  temperature  as  the  afternoon 
advanced  accentuated  the  contrast,  and  obliged 
me  to  content  myself  with  a hasty  record  of 
what  is  one  of  Japan’s  chief  attractions.  I had 
intended  working  on  till  dark,  and  spending  the 
night  on  the  iron  bedstead  in  the  little  inn  ; but  it 
got  so  cold  that  I decided  to  get  back  to  Kobe  by  a 
short-cut,  and  I engaged  a rickshaw  to  take  me 
the  whole  way.  I settled  my  little  account  with 
the  landlady.  It  was  perhaps  excessive  for  what 
the  guidebook  terms  a semi-foreign  hotel,  but, 
considering  the  trouble  they  must  have  had  to  get 
European  food  at  this  time  of  the  year,  I thought 
they  had  earned  their  money.  A little  deference 
is  always  agreeable,  but  when  the  hostess  and  her 
three  daughters  knelt,  and  brought  their  heads 
down  to  the  matting,  I felt  it  verged  on  the 
idolatrous.  How  was  I to  return  such  a saluta- 
tion ? Should  I meet  them  half-way,  and  go  do^vn 
on  one  knee  ? I almost  knew  that  excellent  book 


KOBE 


29 


of  Professor  Chamberlain’s,  “ Things  Japanese,” 
by  heart,  but  could  not  recall  what  the  correct 
thing  would  now  be  to  do ; yet,  whatever  it  was 
I did,  it  seemed  to  satisfy  them,  for  smiles  lit  up 
their  faces  when  they  bid  me  Sayonara.  It  is 
a pretty-sounding  farewell,  and  most  Japanese 
women  have  pretty  voices.  The  hostess  spoilt 
the  effect  by  firing  off  her  remaining  English 
sentence — “ Come  back,  come  back  !” — which 
reminded  me  of  the  noise  a guinea-fowl  makes. 

The  rickshaw-man  evidently  wanted  to  get 
over  the  worst  part  of  the  run  before  darkness 
set  in.  How  he  went  down  those  steep  hills  and 
turned  sharp  corners  without  the  loss  of  a wheel 
was  a marvel.  The  most  precipitous  parts  hap- 
pened to  be  just  at  these  turnings.  1 would  grip 
hold  of  the  seat,  determined  that,  if  I were  shot 
over  the  edge  of  the  road  into  the  ravine  below', 
I would  have  the  rickshaw  with  me  so  as  to  break 
the  fall.  I was  anxious  at  the  start  to  get  back 
to  the  Kobe  Hotel  while  there  was  still  a chance 
of  getting  some  dinner ; now  I was  pretending 
that  there  was  not  the  least  hurry  ; but  the  more 
1 pretended,  the  faster  the  little  beggar  ran.  1 
was  alternately  hot  and  cold  at  the  dangerous 
parts,  and  when  these  were  past  I felt  nothing 


30  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


but  the  increasing  cold.  I was  thankful  when  a 
slight  uphill  stretch  of  road  gave  me  an  excuse  to 
walk,  and  not  being  then  in  danger  of  life  and 
limb,  I could  admire  the  beautiful  scenery. 

Rokkozan  still  caught  the  light  of  the  setting 
sun,  and  the  valley  lay  in  a darkening  shadow, 
lightened  here  and  there  by  the  mist  which  hung 
about  the  foot  of  the  hills.  Everything  seemed 
soaked  in  beautiful  colour.  Men  and  women 
carrying  huge  bundles  of  brushwood  and  fodder 
took  fantastic  shapes  as  they  and  their  burdens 
were  outlined  against  the  haze. 

^¥e  passed  through  a long  straggling  village, 
the  houses  thickly  thatched,  like  those  of  some 
hamlet  in  Dorsetshire ; below  the  eaves  the  simi- 
larity ceased,  for  when  the  paper  slides  are  closed, 
and  when  they  are  lighted  from  within,  they 
resemble  some  queer-shaped  Chinese  lantern. 
Shadows  of  people  having  their  evening  meal 
fell  black  on  the  slides,  and  curious  are  the  effects 
one  sees  at  lighting-up  time  in  a Japanese  village. 
A figure  seated  at  a certain  angle  from  the  lamp 
may  appear  to  have  a nose  a foot  long,  and  to  be 
eating  something  twice  as  long  as  himself.  A 
seated  black  giant  appears  to  be  talking  to  a 
woman  not  as  big  as  his  head,  should  she  be 


KOBE 


31 


sitting  nearer  the  light.  In  warmer  weather  the 
sho;i  are  only  closed  when  the  bedding  is  spread 
on  the  matting.  The  bath,  the  e\'ening  meal,  and 
family  gathering — all  these  take  place  in  view  of 
the  passer-by. 

The  remaining  part  of  the  ride  was  done  in  the 
dark.  A large  paper  lantern  was  hung  from  one 
of  the  shafts  of  the  rickshaw,  and  with  this  dim 
light  the  little  man  ran  me  into  Kobe.  We  had 
come  about  fifteen  miles  in  little  over  a couple 
of  hours.  I gave  him  a trifle  over  the  proper  fare, 
and  expected  to  hear,  as  in  Egypt,  a clamouring 
for  more,  but  was  agreeably  disappointed — a low 
bow,  a wave  from  his  mushroom'shaped  hat,  and 
I saw  him  no  more. 


CHAPTER  111 

KOBE  {continued) 


HE  comforts  of  a luxuriously  fitted  up 


European  hotel  were  very  appreciable  after 
a tiring  day  and  my  cold  ride.  A hot  bath,  an 
excellent  dinner,  and  a roaring  fire  in  an  open 
grate  were  certainly  not  things  to  grumble  at ; 
but  1 had  hardly  digested  my  dinner  and  got 
thoroughly  thawed  when  the  feeling  got  hold 
of  me  that  it  was  not  for  this  that  1 had  come 
so  far.  These  were  not  the  surroundings  in 
ivhich  1 felt  1 could  paint  and  write  about  Japan. 
The  people  here  were  either  tourists,  who  stayed 
a couple  of  days  at  the  most,  and  knew  as  little 
about  Japan  as  1 did,  or  they  were  business  men 
from  the  settlement  who  took  their  meals  here. 
To  get  the  latter  to  talk  about  things  Japanese, 
except  to  abuse  them,  seemed  impossible.  The 
subject  which  1 had  seen  the  day  before  was  the 
only  inducement  to  make  me  stay,  and  1 decided 
to  move  on  to  Kyoto  as  soon  as  1 had  finished  a 


32 


KOBE 


33 


drawing  of  the  patch  of  wistaria  which  came  so 
well  with  the  stone  torii  of  Ikuta  temple. 

1 had  heard  of  the  inquisitiveness  of  the 
Japanese,  and  had  a good  sample  of  it  as  soon  as 
I set  up  my  easel.  I chose  an  inconspicuous 
place,  and  got  my  man  to  place  the  rickshaw  so 
as  to  hide  me  a little — a vain  precaution. 

Someone  sees  you,  must  have  a look  at  what 
you  are  doing,  can’t  make  head  nor  tail  of  it, 
beckons  to  a friend  to  enlighten  him  ; friend,  not 
quite  sure,  calls  another  friend,  who  thinks  you 
must  be  trying  to  draw  so-and-so.  As  neither 
of  the  three  are  quite  sure,  they  decide  to  remain 
till  they  have  found  out.  Others  come  to  see 
what  they  are  looking  at.  You  are  then  fairly 
well  hidden,  but  not  the  onlookers,  who  serve  as 
call-birds.  Your  subject  is  soon  completely 
blocked  out.  You  then  place  your  started 
sketch  with  its  face  to  the  wall,  and  possibly  a 
few  take  the  hint  and  go.  Others  seem  fascinated 
with  the  back  of  the  drawing,  and  can’t  take  their 
eyes  off'  it.  Not  being  able  to  work,  you  light  a 
cigarette ; the  scratch  of  the  match  breaks  the 
fascination  of  the  back  of  the  drawing,  and  all 
eyes  are  on  your  cigarette.  The  rickshaw-man, 
whom  you  have  engaged  for  the  whole  morning 
3 


34  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


in  the  hopes  that  he  would  keep  off  the  people, 
seems  to  be  the  only  person  who  is  not  inquisitive, 
for  he  is  basking  in  the  sun  on  the  other  side 
of  the  square.  Fortunately  you  are  taller  than 
your  crowd,  so  there  is  hope  that  your  signals  of 
distress  may  be  seen  by  the  rickshaw-man.  Crowd 
is  then  intently  interested  in  the  signals,  has 
evidently  never  seen  that  class  of  signal  before. 
When  you  succeed  in  catching  your  man’s  eye, 
he  will  run  across,  make  his  bow,  and  want  to 
know  what  his  honourable  fare  may  deign  to 
order  him.  Y ou  gradually  make  him  understand 
that  you  want  to  see  the  object  you  are  painting, 
and  that  you  can’t  see  through  people  four  rows 
deep.  He  will  then  bow  to  these  gaping  loafers, 
and  with  a smile  that  he  can  wear  for  half  an 
hour  at  a time  he  will  ask  them  to  condescend 
to  stand  aside.  Those  who  feel  that  they  have 
stared  as  long  as  they  wish  move  off,  while  the 
others,  who  want  to  see  me  at  work,  take  up 
positions  on  each  side. 

The  sun,  which  gave  the  chief  charm  to  the 
subject,  now  feels  it  is  his  turn  to  annoy,  though 
you  may  have  started  work  under  a cloudless 
sky — he  has  called  up  a great  cumulus  to  block 
out  his  rays  for  the  rest  of  the  morning. 


KOBE 


35 


When  your  effect  is  what  you  want,  and  you 
have  decided  how  you  will  treat  it,  your  work 
soon  absorbs  all  your  attention,  and  as  long  as 
no  one  stands  in  your  light  you  may  be  un- 
conscious of  the  starers  on  each  side  of  you  ; but, 
should  your  effect  change,  and  you  are  con- 
sequently in  doubt  how  to  proceed,  all  the 
philosophy  you  may  bring  to  bear  will  not  allay 
the  sense  of  irritation  these  onlookers  cause. 

I have  done  street-painting  in  many  different 
countries,  and  some  of  these  annoyances  are 
common  to  all.  The  Japanese  are  not  intention- 
ally rude,  for  when  they  are  asked  to  stand 
aside  they  always  do  so.  Inquisitiveness  pushed 
to  this  extreme  is  not,  I believe,  considered  bad 
manners.  Professor  Chamberlain  calls  it  “ a 
kindly  interest.”  The  horse-play  of  the  yahoos, 
who  usually  hang  about  any  centre,  is  absent 
here,  except  on  some  special  holiday,  when  sake 
has  been  freely  indulged  in.  The  silence  of  my 
spectators  also  struck  me.  People  here,  if  they 
are  not  acquainted,  do  not  get  into  conversation 
with  each  other  as  readily  as  in  Continental 
Europe.  A student  who  can  speak  a few  words 
I of  English  may  air  it  with  a foreigner,  and  ply 
him  with  a hundred  questions,  but  he  will  sit 


36  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


silent  next  to  one  of  his  compatriots  during  a 
whole  journey,  unless  there  be  some  very  valid 
reason  for  speaking.  The  stupid  inquisitiveness 
of  the  lower  orders  becomes  a thirst  for  know- 
ledge amongst  the  student  class,  and  questioning 
may  take  the  place  of  staring. 

The  impressionistic  sketch  I had  intended 
making  did  not  come  off.  The  subject  lost  so 
much  without  the  sunlight  that  I had  done  little 
more  than  draw  it  in,  hoping  for  better  luck  the 
next  morning. 

At  lunch  (which,  by  the  way,  we  Avill  call 
“ tiffin  ” in  future,  for  I have  heard  it  called  by 
no  other  name  this  side  of  Ceylon)  I heard  that 
a private  garden  was  thrown  open  to  the  public, 
to  allow  it  to  inspect  the  peonies.  Now  I was 
nearly  as  anxious  to  get  a drawing  of  peonies  as 
I was  of  the  cherry-blossom,  so  I was  again  soon 
seated  behind  my  rickshaw-man,  “No  5.” 

The  garden  lay  on  the  further  side  of  Hyogo, 
the  older  town  which  joins  Kobe.  After  crossing 
the  foreign  settlement  we  got  into  the  native 
part  of  Kobe,  which  is  much  larger  than  I had 
anticipated.  The  change  is  sudden  and  striking. 
In  less  than  a couple  of  hundred  yards  we 
have  been  carried  from  the  West  to  the  Far 


AN  AZAI,EA  GARDEN 


1ft 


St 


,e,- 


KOBE 


37 


East,  Some  European  goods  may  be  displayed 
in  a shop,  but  do  not  appear  more  ineongruous 
than  do  Japaneseries  seen  in  a shop-window  in 
England.  The  shop  itself  is  not  European,  and 
the  sewing-machines  or  phonographs  seem  to 
lose  their  Western  obtrusiveness  in  their  Oriental 
setting.  Telegraph-poles  are  in  such  quantities 
that  it  seems  as  if  they  must  have  originated  in 
this  country,  with  climate  and  soil  favourable  to 
their  growth. 

We  cross  the  Ai-oi  Bridge,  have  a glance 
1 down  the  canal,  packed  with  uripainted  junks, 
and  are  in  Hyogo.  INIy  rickshaw-man  trots  on, 
giving  his  face  and  neck  an  occasional  mop  with 
i a little  blue  towel.  He  pulls  off*  his  coat  and 
I throws  it  over  one  of  the  shafts  without  stopping, 
i calls  out  Hi !”  when  he  is  uncomfortably  near 
bowling  over  an  old  woman  or  crushing  an 
infant.  No  one  seems  to  mind  his  speed,  and 
when  he  nearly  collides  with  another  rickshaw  at 
a crossing,  he  will  draw  up  sharp,  smile  at  the 
other  man,  and  trot  on.  Though  we  are  in  the 
main  street  of  Hyogo,  I hardly  see  a house  of 
j more  than  one  story  above  the  ground  floor,  and 
I not  even  many  as  high  as  that.  Fish-shops 
I abound,  as  everywhere  in  .Japan.  The  board  with 


38  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


the  name  of  the  proprietor  and  his  calling  seems 
out  of  all  proportion  to  the  importance  of  his 
establishment,  like  the  large  flowing  signatures 
seen  on  the  cheap  water-colour  drawings  in 
Venice.  The  picturesque  Chinese  characters, 
swept  on  with  a full  brush,  are  such  a feature 
that  one  readily  pardons  this  little  bit  of  vanity. 
On  leaving  the  town  there  is  no  need  to  ask  where 
the  garden  of  Sugimoto  is,  for  other  rickshaw^s 
and  groups  of  pedestrians  are  w'^ending  their  w^ay 
to  a villa  crowning  a low-lying  hill  a little  way 
off*.  On  reaching  the  entrance,  I see  so  many 
people  that  I feel  that  my  chances  of  being  able 
to  work  there  are  small.  I leave  my  traps  in 
the  rickshaw  and  enter. 

A winding  path  through  evergreens  leads  to 
higher  and  more  level  ground.  Notices  are 
posted  up  at  most  of  the  turnings,  but,  as  I 
cannot  read  them,  I follow  a group  of  holiday- 
makers. I see  them  stop  at  the  top  of  the  path, 
and  an  “ Ooh  !”  from  the  men  and  “ Kirei,  kirei !” 
from  the  women  make  me  hurry  to  catch  them  up. 

It  was  a wonderful  sight  I saw’^ — wdiite,  yellow, 
terra-cotta,  and  pink-coloured  azaleas  in  wild 
luxuriance  fringed  a small  serpentine  lake.  Stone 
lanterns,  miniature  bridges,  and  a pagoda  are  all 


KOBE 


39 


carefully  placed  where  they  best  suit  the 
composition,  and  wandering  about  in  paths, 
partly  hid  by  the  flowering  shrubs,  are  women 
and  children  in  various  coloured  kimonos,  and 
carrying  their  quaint  little  umbrellas.  One  or 
two  stood  on  a bridge  and  were  throwing  crumbs 
to  the  goldfish,  and  a spray  of  golden  azaleas 
stood  out  against  the  purple  reflection  of  the 
women’s  garments.  Large  mossy  stones  made 
little  islands  and  resting-places  for  the  water-fowl. 

Had  the  Princess  now  taken  her  seat  on  the 
bridge,  and  the  Prince  disclosed  himself  from 
amongst  the  azalea-bushes,  and  had  the  fairy, 
with  an  electric  light  for  a star,  risen  from  the 
water  to  bless  the  young  couple  before  the 
curtain  was  rung  down,  I should  have  felt  no 
surprise.  For  the  time  being  1 forgot  of  what 
1 was  in  search,  and  seemed  to  be  taking  part 
in  a pantomime  with  a willow-pattern  kind  of 
traiisfonnation-scene.  I wish  I had  forgotten 
the  peonies  altogether  that  afternoon,  and  had 
been  able  to  give  myself  up  entirely  to  the 
enjoyment  of  this  novel  garden-party. 

People  came  flocking  in,  and  as  the  paths  were 
narrow,  I had  to  follow  the  crowd.  T o sit  down 
and  paint  was  out  of  the  question.  1 wandered 


40  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


along  winding  paths,  crossed  and  recrossed  little 
bridges,  got  into  a maze  of  azalea-bushes,  and 
then  became  aware  that  I was  alone.  A notiee 
I had  seen  must  have  been  to  say  that  the  publie 
were  not  admitted  here,  but  as  all  notices  looked 
to  me  like  labels  on  packets  of  China  tea,  I had 
disregarded  it.  A gardener  appeared,  presumably 
to  turn  me  out,  and  I wondered  how  .Japanese 
gardeners  usually  treat  trespassers.  With  a 
smile  he  beckoned  me  to  follow  him,  and  he 
took  me  up  to  the  house.  Three  figures  seated 
in  a room  opening  on  to  the  garden  soon 
riveted  my  attention.  They  were  clad  in 
armour,  and  their  faces  were  hid  by  grinnmg 
iron  masks.  Was  I to  be  tried  by  these  queer- 
looking eustomers  ? Is  boiling  oil  meted  out 
to  a trespasser,  or  is  he  allowed  to  perform 
harakiri  ? I contemplated  a bolt,  getting  through 
the  maze  by  clearing  the  azalea -bushes,  and 
making  a bee-line  for  where  I thought  my 
rickshaw  was.  I had  one  more  look  before 
taking  so  extreme  a measure,  and  I then 
perceived  that  my  three  inquisitors  were  no 
more  alarming  than  three  dummies  at  Madame 
Tussaud’s. 

The  gardener  said  something  with  Sugamoto 


KOBE 


41 


in  it,  fi’om  which  I gathered  that  it  was  the 
armour  worn  by  the  Samurai  forbears  of  that 
gentleman. 

We  skirted  round  the  house,  and  got  into 
the  grounds  of  a little  Buddhist  temple.  My 
conductor  made  a bow  to  a priest  who  was 
there,  and  pointed  to  me.  Taking  this  for  a 
kind  of  an  introduction,  I saluted  the  priest, 
and  said  that  I was  sorry  I could  not  speak 
his  language.  I found,  to  my  surprise,  that  he 
' could  speak  a little  of  mine.  He  gave  me  some 
information  about  the  temple,  and  showed  me 
some  parts  of  the  grounds  1 had  not  seen ; told 
' me  that  I was  welcome  to  paint  there  as  much 
as  I liked,  but  that  I could  not  paint  peonies, 
as  there  were  none.  I bid  farewell  to  the  kindly 
priest,  was  taken  a short-cut  towards  the  entrance 
where  “ No.  5 ” awaited  me,  and  I offered  the 
gardener  a gratuity  which  he  would  not  take, 

I though  acknowledging  my  good  intentions  and 
! thanking  me  profusely. 

After  being  so  long  in  the  land  of  “ baksheesh,” 
1 was  a good  deal  surprised  at  this  latter  incident, 
and  mentioned  it  to  the  manager  of  the  hotel. 

I I had  offered  this  man  what  would  be  at  least 
a day’s  wage,  but  I was  told  that  in  a case  like 


42  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


that  it  would  have  reflected  on  his  master’s 
hospitality  had  any  of  his  dependents  taken 
money  from  any  of  the  visitors. 

I was  more  fortunate  the  following  day  with 
my  work.  “ No.  5 ” was  properly  instructed  what 
to  do,  and  he  somehow  managed  to  keep  the 
crowd  from  blocking  out  my  view.  Encouraged 
by  this,  I started  a second  drawing,  in  the  after- 
noon, of  a Shinto  shrine,  which  was  decked  out 
with  lanterns  and  flags  for  its  annual  festival. 

It  was  a modest  little  temple,  but,  backed  up 
and  partly  hid  by  the  trees,  it  made  a charming 
setting  for  its  temporary  adornments  and  for  the 
people  who  came  to  visit  it.  The  subject  was  so 
full  of  colour,  and  it  looked  so  typically  Japanese, 
that  I could  not  resist  it,  even  though  it  delayed 
my  getting  to  Kyoto.  I felt  a little  uncertain 
as  to  whether  I should  be  allowed  to  set  up 
my  easel  in  the  sacred  precincts,  remembering 
the  difficulties  I had  gone  through  in  Moham- 
medan countries.  No  one,  however,  seemed  to 
object,  and  I was  evidently  looked  on  as  a kind 
of  side-show  to  the  main  performance. 

“No.  5 ” had  his  work  cut  out  this  time,  till  a 
sudden  inspiration  made  his  job  a sinecure  and 
my  work  a possibility. 


I 


l llK  SHRINE  Ol'  INARI  AT  KOBE 


KOBE 


43 


He  procured  a few  yards  of  string,  and  tied 
one  end  to  a balustrade  near  me,  and  the  other 
end  to  a tree,  and,  though  a child  could  have 
snapped  this  string,  it  was  enough  to  keep  the 
people  at  a respectful  distance.  Seats  were 
reserved  on  the  balustrade  by  small  boys,  and 
every  point  of  vantage  had  its  spectator,  but  no 
one  ventured  within  the  little  space  that  “ No.  5 ” 
had  roped  off.  The  goddess  Inari,  in  whose 
honour  the  shrine  was  erected,  may  have  felt 
jealous,  but  I can  assure  her  that  I did  not  wish 
to  share  the  attention  of  her  devotees.  She  is 
the  goddess  of  rice,  and  a very  popular  goddess 
she  is.  One  meets  her  shrine  everywhere,  and 
it  is  always  recognizable  by  the  images  of  foxes, 
who  serve  as  her  messengers. 

The  Shinto  priest  and  those  that  serve  him 
alone  enter  the  shrine ; the  worshippers  stand 
outside,  and,  in  the  case  of  most,  the  devotions 
consist  of  little  more  than  rattling  a rope  against 
a brass  gong  which  hangs  from  the  lintel  over 
the  entrance,  the  clapping  of  hands  four  times, 
and  the  throwing  of  a copper  coin  into  a huge 
open  coffer  for  its  reception.  Occasionally  I saw 
someone  kneeling  or  standing  in  a devotional 
attitude,  but  only  for  a minute  or  two,  and  then 


44  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


he  or  she  would  proceed  to  inspect  the  little 
stalls  of  sweets  and  toys  that  generally  line  each 
side  of  the  temple-approach  when  a festival  is 
on.  These  little  shops,  rigged  up  with  bamboo 
poles  and  matting,  backed  up  with  great  stone 
lanterns  and  the  pines,  the  quaint-looking  wares 
and  the  groups  of  women  and  children  in  their 
holiday  kimonos,  make  a pretty  picture.  But  I 
felt  sure  that  this  and  much  more  were  to  be 
found  at  Kyoto.  Hearing  at  the  hotel  that 
there  was  to  be  the  annual  historical  procession 
to  Shimogamo  at  Kyoto  the  next  morning,  I 
packed  up  my  traps  at  once,  caught  an  early 
train  the  following  day,  and  by  10  a. m.  I found 
myself  in  Japan’s  ancient  capital. 


CHAPTER  IV 


KYOTO 


OJME  forty  minutes  in  a rickshaw  took  me 


from  the  station  up  to  the  Yaami  Hotel. 
We  passed  through  an  interminable  number  of 
streets,  all  similar  in  character  to  those  I had 
seen  at  Hyogo  and  Shimonoseki — rows  of  low, 
chimneyless  houses,  wooden-framed,  with  grey- 
tiled  roofs — shops  of  sorts,  all  of  them — and  the 
monotony  broken  here  and  there  by  the  approach 
of  a temple  or  shrine.  It  was  only  when  we 
crossed  the  Kamogawa,  the  river  which  divides 
Kyoto  into  two  unequal  parts,  that  I was  able 
to  realize  that  I was  in  a great  city.  A long 
stretch  of  water,  spanned  hy  a number  of  wooden 
bridges,  leads  the  eye  through  a maze  of  wooden 
structures  far  away  to  the  densely-wooded  hills 
which  form  an  amphitheatre  around  three  parts 
of  the  town.  Seen  in  great  masses,  this  un- 
painted woodwork  has  a ramshackly  appearance, 
picturesque  in  its  way,  but  with  none  of  that 


45 


46  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


look  of  solid  durability  we  associate  with  an  old 
and  stately  capital.  Its  chief  beauties  are  not  to 
be  found  in  the  habitations  of  men,  but  in  those  of 
the  gods  they  worship,  and  in  the  sacred  groves 
which  surround  them. 

Crossing  the  bridge,  we  dived  into  another 
series  of  narrow,  unostentatious  streets,  till  we 
reached  the  precincts  of  Gion  Temple.  Between 
the  giant  stems  of  the  cryptomerias  and  ever- 
green oaks,  I caught  glimpses  of  scarlet  pillars, 
queer-looking  gods,  and  huge  stone  lanterns. 
The  stone  steps  prevented  the  rickshaw  from 
taking  the  avenue  which  leads  through  this 
enclosure,  and  we  had  to  tramp  up  the  steepish 
road  which  skirts  round  a part  of  it.  These 
glimpses  of  things  beautiful  and  quaint  excited 
my  curiosity  enormously.  I felt  as  one  en- 
hungered  and  fed  with  an  occasional  lollipop. 
Plenty  of  time  lay  before  me,  and  1 consoled 
myself  that  I should  be  able  to  satisfy  my 
appetite  to  the  full.  The  great  procession  and 
religious  dance,  which  I had  for  the  moment 
forgotten — was  I not  to  see  that,  as  soon  as  the 
commonplace  business  of  engaging  a room  at  the 
hotel  was  over  ? 

At  the  top  of  Maruyama  Park,  in  which  we 


KYOTO 


47 


now  were,  stood  the  Yaami.  I engaged  a room, 
and  told  someone  who  could  speak  a little 
English  to  direct  the  rickshaw-man  to  the 
Shimogamo  Temple.  Sho  was  the  name  of  the 
little  creature,  with  the  form  of  a man  and  the 
I attributes  of  a pony,  who  so  far  had  not  spoken 
! a word  except  the  “ Hi !”  to  help  to  stave  off  a 
I collision.  “ Shimogamo  tempre  one  hour,”  he 
' now  said,  mopping  his  forehead  in  anticipation  of 
a run  in  the  sun.  “ I see  you  speak  English,”  I 
I said,  feeling  a certain  protection  which  the  sense 
of  being  able  to  make  your  wants  known  gives. 
“ I shpeak  rittre  Eengris,”  was  the  proud  answer, 
accompanied  by  the  jerky  bow,  and  a smile  which 
I should  have  got  to  miss  by  now  had  he 
forgotten  it. 

There  was  no  time  for  further  conversation. 
The  man  in  Sho  was  now  lost  in  the  pony.  The 
' strides  he  took  going  downhill  seemed  quite  out 
' of  proportion  to  the  length  of  his  legs.  W e spun 
down  the  road  which  skirts  the  Gion  Temple 
enclosure  ; the  glimpses  of  the  carven  images  and 
stone  lanterns  shot  past  us,  and  I saw  them  as  a 
demon  motorist  sees  the  charms  of  an  English 
I country  village.  Sho  partly  disrobed,  and  Sho 
mopped  his  brow,  but  Sho  never  relaxed  his  speed. 


48  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


We  dived  into  more  narrow  streets,  recrossed  the 
river,  and  sped  along  the  quay  for  a mile  or  more.  j 

It  was  at  first  exhilarating,  and  I felt  like  the  j 
live  portion  of  a fire-brigade,  and  that  I should  j 
have  been  yelling  to  clear  the  traffic,  but  after  a i 
while  some  of  that  feeling  got  hold  of  me  of 
being  thought  an  “ ’Arry”  by  the  pedestrians,  and 
awakened  painful  memories  of  sitting  behind  an 
enthusiastic  motorist,  and  watching  the  trail  of 
dust  behind  me  greying  trim  lawns  and  entering 
the  open  casements  of  neat  little  roadside  \’illas. 

We  were  evidently  nearing  the  festivities,  for 
the  groups  of  people  walking  our  way  thickened. 

I called  out  to  Sho  to  go  slower,  when  he  stopped 
short,  and  I was  nearly  shot  out  over  his  head. 

Sho  could  “ shpeak  a rittre  Eengris,”  but  it  was  a 
very  little  he  could  understand.  That  anyone 
should  wish  to  go  slowly  when  he  could  go  j 
quickly  for  the  same  money  was  more  than  his 
pony-like  brain  could  take  in.  He  left  me  in  his 
rickshaw  in  the  middle  of  the  quay,  and  looked 
into  one  or  two  of  the  shops  which  faced  the 
river.  Was  he  seeking  an  interpreter?  No,  for 
he  asked  no  questions.  I had  not  asked  for 
clogs,  so  why  did  he  pry  about  that  geta  shop  ? 

I had  not  mentioned  seaweed,  dried  octopus,  or 


KYOTO 


49 


any  of  the  delicacies  in  the  next  shop  which  fixed 
his  attention,  Japanese  umbrellas,  paper  lanterns, 
birdcages,  and  fans  were  displayed  in  the  adjoin- 
ing establishment.  That’s  it ; he  must  have 
noticed  that  I hadn’t  a fan ! I looked  around 
me,  and  saw  that  all  had  fans  except  myself  and 
some  of  the  women,  I don’t  like  to  be  thought 
effeminate,  so  I decided  to  have  one.  He  has 
made  up  his  mind  now  which  colour  will  suit  my 
complexion  best.  He  slips  into  the  passage, 
catches  hold  of  a long  ladle  hanging  on  the  side 
of  a tub,  dips  it  in,  and  takes  a drink.  He 
leaves  the  shop  without  as  much  as  making  an 
offer  for  a fan,  starts  his  smile,  makes  his  bow, 
and  gets  between  the  shafts. 

It  was  about  time,  for  I was  baking  in  the  sun, 
while  Sho  was  merely  taking  a rest  and  quench- 
ing his  thirst.  He  must  have  understood  me, 
after  all,  for  his  speed  now  was  about  as  ex- 
hilarating as  that  of  a funeral  procession,  Tlie 
one  hour  he  had  said  at  the  start  was  now  up, 
and  a distant  bridge  that  a dense  crowd  was 
crossing  showed  that  we  were  still  a good  way 
off  what  1 had  come  to  see,  I pointed  this  out 
to  Sho,  and  he  started  at  a trot  again  till  the 
thickening  crowd  of  pedestrians  made  anything 
4 


50  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


but  a walking  pace  impossible.  Shimogamo  is 
approached  in  the  shade  of  a grand  avenue  of 
trees.  Stalls,  with  sweets,  toys,  fans,  and 
mementoes  of  the  festival,  had  been  rigged  up  at 
intervals.  As  we  got  nearer  the  temple  we 
found  the  two  sides  of  the  road  roped  off,  and  a 
dense  crowd  were  awaiting  the  procession.  A 
fee  of  ten  sen  had  kept  most  of  the  people  out  of 
the  precincts.  At  the  entrance  to  the  latter  I left 
Sho,  took  a tieket,  and  went  in.  The  chief  hotels 
had  got  platforms  with  seats,  and  I had  hardly 
squeezed  myself  into  one  of  these  when  the 
performance  began. 

I gathered  that  it  was  the  kagura  dance, 
though  it  was  hard  to  imagine  anything  less  like 
what  the  word  dance  eonveys  to  our  mind.  It 
was  more  a religious  drama  aeted  in  dumb-show. 
What  it  all  meant  is  only  known  to  the  mitiated. 
The  music  which  occasionally  accompanied  the 
acting  was  as  strange  and  weird  as  the  spectacle. 
But  for  the  Europeans  and  Americans  who  were 
sitting  near  me,  I might  have  imagined  myself 
assisting  at  some  great  function  in  the  planet 
Mars. 

As  a mass  of  colour  the  sight  was  dazzling. 
The  temple  buildings,  which  surround  three  sides 


KYOTO 


51 


of  a vast  enclosure,  had  been  lately  restored,  and 
time  had  done  nothing  to  dim  the  brilliance  of 
the  scarlet  and  gold  which  covers  the  mass  of 
woodwork.  On  our  left  dark  gi*een  cryptomerias, 
ilexes  and  deciduous  trees,  then  in  their  spring 
foliage,  rose  up  above  the  roofs,  and  cast  deep 
purple  shadows  on  the  lead-coloured  tiles.  On 
turning  our  backs  to  the  sun,  all  save  the  warm 
shadows  in  the  colonnades  was  light  against  the 
deep  blue  sky. 

Such  a gorgeous  setting  might  easily  have 
dimmed  the  bright  attire  of  the  performers,  but 
the  various  textures  of  the  material,  the  beautiful 
designs,  and  here  and  there  a judicious  use  of 
black,  would  have  made  them  hold  their  own  had 
they  been  simply  posing  as  a tableau,  vivant.  An 
occasional  strain  of  music  from  queer-shaped 
wind  instruments  made  the  silence  of  the 
performance  all  the  more  impressive. 

From  various  parts  of  the  enclosure  the  actors 
moved  slowly  towards  the  bag^u'a  stage,  which  is 
1 a feature  in  most  Shinto  temples.  The  musicians 
and  the  men  in  armour  formed  groups  around 
this,  while  about  eight  of  the  company  ascended 
the  steps  to  the  platform.  They  were  all  men, 
i and  as  far  as  I can  remember,  no  women  took 


52  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


part  in  the  spectacle.  Their  silk  robes  trailed 
several  feet  behind  them.  Special  care  had  been 
taken  that  the  costumes  should  make  a rich  and 
harmonious  mass  of  colour.  As  they  moved 
from  one  posture  to  another,  crossed  and  re- 
crossed, every  conceivable  combination  of  colour 
presented  itself,  and  the  quantities  of  each  hue 
were  so  adjusted  that  a discordant  note  was 
never  struck. 

The  semi-religious,  semi-historical  significance 
of  the  various  actions  of  the  performers  was  lost 
on  the  foreign  spectators  who  sat  around  me,  as 
well  as  on  myself ; one  by  one  they  quietly 
slipped  off,  and  when,  finally,  the  actors  descended 
from  the  stage,  I found  myself  alone  in  my  little 
auditorium.  My  watch  told  me  that  it  was  long 
past  the  luncheon  hour,  and  I had  seen  so  much 
to  interest  and  to  excite  that  it  now  seemed  a 
week  since  the  hasty  breakfast  I had  made  at 
six  o’clock  at  the  Kobe  Hotel.  I soon  found 
Sho,  made  no  attempt  this  time  to  relax  his 
speed,  and  reached  the  Yaami  Hotel  while  there 
was  yet  time  to  get  something  to  eat. 

I could  not  get  to  work  that  day,  so  decided  to 
see  all  I could  before  getting  into  harness  again. 

A deep,  sonorous  “ boom,”  that  seemed  to 


KYOTO 


53 


come  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  now  startled 
any  decision  I had  come  to  out  of  me.  The 
slow  vibrations  shook  the  hotel,  and  had  scarcely 
died  away  when  the  sound  repeated  itself.  I 
had  read  of  the  great  bell  at  Chion-in,  and  was 
1 aware  that  the  temple  is  not  far  from  the  Y aami ; 
but  the  bell  I heard  must  surely  be  kept  in  the 
hotel  cellar.  I strolled  round  the  veranda,  and 

I 

saw,  some  two  or  three  hundred  yards  before 
me,  the  huge  roof  of  this  Buddhist  shrine,  backed 
up  and  partly  liid  by  a fine  mass  of  foliage, 
j Gion  must  wait ; Chion-in  was  my  nearest 
neighbour,  and  should  have  the  first  visit.  Sho 
hung  about  the  hotel  entrance  ; he  ran  for  his 
conveyance,  and  I waved  him  off — rickshaws  were 
no  use  to  mount  a great  flight  of  stone  steps. 
However,  if  he  chose  to  follow  me,  that  was  his 
lookout. 

After  ascending  the  stone  steps  we  reached  a 
grove  of  evergreens,  and  advancing  through  this, 
we  soon  arrived  at  a clearance,  where  an  open 
wooden  structure  stood  with  a tiled  roof.  From 
the  central  beam  hung  the  great  bell  that  had 
startled  me  some  ten  minutes  previously.  A 
I beam  hanging  horizontally  from  the  roof  is  used 
as  a battering-ram  ; two  men  swing  this  back- 


54  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


wards  and  forwards  till  it  has  gained  sufficient 
impetus,  and  then  they  let  it  crash  against  the 
mass  of  metal.  Where  the  ram’s  head  is  usually 
depicted  I noticed  a bronze  chrysanthemum. 
Referring  to  Murray,  you  will  find  that  it  is  one 
of  the  four  largest  bells  in  Japan,  weighs  nearly 
74  tons,  is  10  feet  8 inches  in  height,  and  9 feet 
in  diameter. 

As  the  crow  flies,  the  bell  hangs  little  more 
than  100  yards  from  my  bedroom,  and,  impressive 
as  its  voice  is,  I hoped  that  it  took  a thorough 
rest  during  the  hours  of  the  night. 

From  the  bell-tower  a long  flight  of  steps  leads 
down  to  the  temple  enclosure.  We  look  domi  on 
the  honden  or  main  shrine,  also  on  the  massive 
gateway,  and  to  our  right  we  see  a part  of  the 
library  and  the  palace.  The  spaces  between  these 
structures  are  decorated  with  stone  and  bronze 
lanterns  and  lotus-shaped  water  - basins.  An 
avenue  of  cherry-trees  connects  the  gateway  with 
the  different  buildings. 

The  huge  honden  was  closed  for  repairs, 
but  the  Shuei-d5  was  open  to  visitors.  Here 
we  take  off  our  boots,  and  are  led  by  a priest 
through  a matted  comdor  into  a superbly 
beautiful  chapel. 


APPROACH  TO  A RUSTIC  SHRINE 


KYOTO 


55 


Two  altars  stand  here,  with  images  of  Amida 
and  Kwannon ; one  the  work  of  the  famous 
sculptor  Eshin,  who  dates  from  the  tenth  century. 
It  was  not  these  which  so  much  impressed  me  as 
the  effect  of  colour  of  the  whole  interior.  The 
warm  light  as  it  passes  through  the  shoji  is 
reflected  on  black  and  gold  lacquer.  The 
ornamentation  is  simple,  so  as  not  to  detract 
from  the  gilt  and  bronze  images,  which  are  the 
chief  feature,  yet  it  is  sufficiently  rich  to  make  a 
proper  setting  for  these  works  of  art.  The  detail 
has  escaped  me.  The  subdued  harmony  will 
long  outlive  in  my  memory  the  blaze  of  colour 
1 had  witnessed  in  the  morning. 

My  cabin  companion,  the  man  of  many  inches, 
walked  in  while  I was  there.  We  greeted 
each  other  in  whispers.  He  seemed  equally 
impressed  with  the  awe  and  beauty  of  the  place. 
^ Ye  silently  followed  the  benevolent-looking  priest 
through  some  passages  which  led  into  the  palace. 

The  apartments  were  built  by  lemitsu  early  in 
the  seventeenth  century,  and  are  chiefly  inter- 
esting for  the  number  of  paintings  of  the  Kano 
school.  The  easel  picture,  as  we  understand  it, 
does  not  exist  here.  The  artist  was  evidently 
responsible  for  the  whole  decoration  of  the  room, 


56  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


though  his  chief  work  is  on  the  sliding-screens 
which  separate  one  apartment  from  another. 

Cranes  and  pine-trees  form  the  motive  of  two 
rooms,  the  bamboo  and  plum-tree  that  of  another. 
The  outlines,  which  are  realistic,  are  boldly  swept 
in,  but  the  tones  are  kept  flat  and  decoratively  con- 
ventional. Some  are  still  in  good  preserv  ation, 
but  the  celebrated  sparrows  by  Nobumassa  are 
almost  gone.  The  guide  will  tell  you  that  they 
were  so  lifehke  that  they  flew  away.  The  same 
artist’s  chrysanthemums,  which  form  the  decora- 
tion of  another  room,  have  fortunately  not  faded, 
nor  have  they  been  picked. 

A\^hile  passing  from  room  to  room  we  caught 
glimpses  of  a lovely  garden  surrounding  two 
sides  of  the  palace.  It  composed  so  well  from 
one  point  of  view  that  I forgot  my  fatigue  and 
wanted  to  paint  it  at  once.  The  priest  kindly 
said  I might  do  so,  and  as  there  were  stiU  a 
couple  hours  of  daylight,  I sent  Sho  back  to  the 
liotel  to  get  my  materials. 

Here  was  an  ideal  Japanese  garden,  and  no 
crowd  to  bother  me  while  at  work.  The  early 
azaleas  w'^ere  nearly  over,  but  there  were  still 
enough  to  show  what  they  had  been.  This 
immediate  hurry  to  get  at  them  may  surprise 


KYOTO 


57 


the  reader.  But  I had  come  to  Japan  to  illustrate 
a book  on  Japanese  gardens  as  well  as  this  one. 
The  azalea,  peony,  and  wistaria  follow  so  quickly 
on  the  cherry  that  there  is  hardly  breathing- 
space  between  them.  Except  when  the  azaleas 
are  in  bloom,  the  Japanese  garden  proper  is  a 
flowerless  one.  JMixed  flower  - borders  and 
bedding-out  plants  are  rarely  seen.  The  chry- 
santhemums and  peonies  are  grown  in  places  set 
apart  for  them,  and  the  trailing  wistaria  is  mostly 
found  in  tea-gardens  or  occasionally  in  a public 
park.  Much  as  the  Japanese  delight  in  flowers, 
they  do  not  have  a profusion  around  their  homes 
as  we  do  in  Europe,  but  they  will  make  excursions 
to  see  their  favourites  in  some  place  set  aside  and 
noted  for  them.  Now,  in  this  particular  instance, 
when  the  azaleas  are  over,  the  bushes  will  be 
trimmed  into  shapes,  and  a varied  mass  of  greenery 
will  be  the  outlook  from  the  palace  rooms  for 
the  rest  of  the  year.  A few  branches  of  maple 
may,  in  autumn,  give  a touch  of  crimson,  but 
care  would  be  taken  not  to  have  enough 
deciduous  trees  to  interfere  with  the  growth  of 
tlie  evergreens.  As  this  subject  will  be  fully 
treated  in  another  book,  I must  not  encroacli 
further  on  it  here. 


CHAPTER  V 
KYOTO  ( continued ) 


HE  modest  hotel  where  I had  now  taken  up 


my  quarters  suited  me  exactly.  It  stood  on 
high  ground,  and  commanded  a fine  view  of  the 
city  to  the  west,  while  to  the  north  and  south, 
on  the  slopes  of  the  range  of  hills  behind  it,  were 
a series  of  temples  with  beautifully  laid  out 
grounds  and  magnificent  trees.  The  food  and 
furniture  were  European,  but  the  house  and 
surroundings  were  Japanese.  Knowing  nothing 
of  the  language,  I did  not  yet  venture  on 
a purely  Japanese  inn,  while  here  sufficient 
English  was  spoken  to  enable  me  to  make  my 
wants  known. 

During  the  two  and  a half  months  I stayed 
here  I was  mostly  at  work  on  gardens  and 
flowering  shrubs  generally.  I soon  made  the 
acquaintance  of  one  or  two  Japanese,  and  got 
introductions  to  the  owners  of  the  best  gardens. 
I was  received  everywhere  with  the  greatest 


58 


KYOTO 


59 


courtesy.  In  one  instance,  where  I had  to  go 
a long  distance,  I used  to  take  my  lunch  with 
me,  but  each  time  at  midday  fruit  and  eggs  and 
tea  were  brought  out  to  the  little  summer-house 
near  which  I was  at  work. 

Sho  had  a gi’eat  time — could  sleep  nearly  all 
the  day,  and  could  gobble  up  all  my  superfluous 
lunch  during  his  waking  hours. 

The  rainy  season,  which  begins  early  in  .Tune 
and  lasts  about  six  weeks,  did  not  interfere  with 
my  work  as  much  as  I feared  it  would.  The 
gardens  are  so  arranged  that  the  best  ^dews  are 
generally  obtained  from  the  house  or  from  some 
structure  where  I could  sit  in  shelter. 

I made  the  acquaintance  of  a .Japanese  artist 
here  of  considerable  repute — Mr.  Kanocogni. 
He  had  studied  three  years  in  Paris,  and  spoke 
French  very  well.  I saw  a good  deal  of  him, 
and  he  put  me  in  the  way  of  seeing  things  which 
a European  visitor  would  rarely  have  a chance 
of  seeing. 

The  painters  in  .Japan  are  divided  into  two 
classes — those  practising  the  modern  art  of 
Europe,  and  those  who  still  cling  to  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  .Japanese  schools.  The  work  of 
the  latter  naturally  interested  me  the  most,  for. 


60  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


though  some  of  the  work  of  the  former  is  very 
good,  still,  I have  seen  better  at  home. 

Mr.  Kanocogni  is  the  painting  professor  at  the 
Kyoto  University,  and  he  asked  if  he  could  bring 
some  of  his  pupils  to  see  my  water-colours. 
They  were  as  interested  in  seeing  how  I treated 
the  subjects  familiar  to  them  as  we  should  be 
to  see  how  a Japanese  artist  would  treat  English 
ones.  The  show  pupil,  Shiba  by  name,  had  been 
asked  to  bring  a portfolio  of  his  studies  with  him. 
Though  the  youth’s  ambition  was  to  go  to  Europe 
and  study  there,  I was  glad  to  see  that  he  was 
learning  to  draw  as  only  Japanese  can.  The 
rapid  sketches  of  people  in  action,  of  birds,  trees, 
and  bits  of  landscape,  were  done  in  a suggestive 
outline  with  the  long  brush  and  Indian  ink  which 
takes  the  place  of  the  pen  in  this  country.  They 
were  very  good,  and  showed  how  the  essentials 
only  had  caught  his  attention. 

I did  not  like  to  advise  him  to  go  to  Paris. 
He  had  the  beginnings  of  an  art  which  is  de- 
lightful, and  suitable  to  adorn  the  dwelling- 
places  here,  whereas  to  paint  second-rate  Salon 
pictures,  looking  quite  out  of  place  in  a Japanese 
room,  seemed  a very  doubtful  acquirement. 

One  can  understand  that,  in  a country  which 


KYOTO 


61 


is  waking  up  to  Western  civilization,  the  artists 
will  not  rest  content  to  follow  on  in  the  old 
traditions.  They  are  justly  proud  of  their  native 
art,  but  they  feel  that  is  less  complete  than  that 
of  Europe,  with  its  fuller  knowledge  of  light  and 
shade  and  perspective.  They  are,  however,  such 
an  artistic  people  that  it  would  not  be  surprising 
if  they  get  beyond  the  second-rate,  and  produce 
modern  pictures  which  could  hold  their  own 
either  in  Paris  or  anywhere  else.  Unless  they 
have  some  private  means,  I don’t  see  how  they 
are  to  live  in  the  meantime.  The  art  patron 
here  would  never  hang  an  oil-painting  with  its 
heavy  framing  on  one  of  his  wooden  partitions, 
and  the  way  the  last  big  earthquake  tuml)led 
about  the  solidly-built  houses  does  not  encourage 
him  to  adopt  W esterii  domestic  arcliitecture. 
Some  artists  are  compromising,  but  so  far  it  is 
not  entirely  satisfactory. 

Mr.  Kanocogni,  who  dined  with  me  that  even- 
ing, asked  me  if  I would  care  to  dine  a la 
Japanaise  with  him  a day  or  two  later.  I was 
delighted,  not  only  to  have  his  company,  but 
to  see  how  native  fare  agreed  with  me,  as  I hoped 
to  be  able  to  stay  in  purely  Japanese  inns  after 
leaving  my  present  one.  He  was  not  very 


62  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


encouraging  as  to  this,  for  he  told  me  that  he 
had  lately  dined  a Portuguese  acquaintance  of 
his,  and  that  his  guest  was  ill  the  next  day. 
When  he  got  over  his  indisposition,  he  in  his 
turn  dined  his  host  and  his  wife  at  the  European 
hotel,  and  the  lady  was  equally  upset  by  the 
Western  food. 

The  European  had  had  his  revenge,  and 
Kanocogni,  who  had  suffered  vicariously,  thought 
it  rather  funny. 

At  the  appointed  time  my  friend  called  for 
me,  and,  to  my  disappointment,  took  me  to  a 
restaurant.  I had  hoped  that  I was  going  to 
dine  en  famiUe  and  in  company  with  his  pretty 
wife.  It  appears  that  this  is  not  usually  the 
custom,  and  that  dinners  are  nearly  always  given 
in  a public  dining -place.  Often  geishas  are 
called  in  to  sing  and  dance  to  the  guests,  and 
it  has  this  inconvenience — that,  unless  your  host 
happens  to  be  a rich  man,  you  are  putting  him 
to  considerable  expense.  It  was  understood  this 
time  that  there  were  to  be  no  geishas. 

The  restaurant  was  close  by,  at  the  top  of 
Maruyama  Park.  As  we  were  expected,  the 
landlady  and  waitresses  were  at  the  door  to 
receive  us,  and  made  their  profound  bows  while 


KYOTO 


63 


we  took  off  our  boots.  ^Ve  were  led  into  a large 
room  overlooking  the  park  and  city  beyond,  and 
when  we  had  decided  where  to  squat,  screens 
were  slid  in  the  grooves,  so  as  to  enclose  us  in 
a compartment  of  about  eight  mats.  Each  set 
of  diners  likes  to  have  a compartment  to  itself. 
A low  table,  not  a foot  high,  and  a couple  of 
cushions  was  all  the  furniture,  except  a vase  with 
a spray  of  blossom  in  the  takemona,  or  slightly- 
raised  recess,  without  which  no  Japanese  room  is 
complete.  The  guest  is  always  seated  nearest  to 
this  recess,  which  is  considered  the  place  of  honour. 

\V^hile  waiting  for  the  first  course,  I noticed 
yet  another  piece  of  furniture,  and  that  was  a 
large  text  painted  in  bold  Cliinese  characters  and 
hung  above  the  sliding-screens  opposite  to  me. 
Asking  what  it  meant,  I was  told  that  each  room 
had  a name,  and  the  title  of  this  one  read,  “ The 
room  where  the  cool  breezes  blow.” 

There  is  many  a true  word  spoken  in  jest,  for 
I found  it  decidedly  draughty,  and  proposed  our 
closing  the  paper  slides.  We  shut  out  a beautiful 
view  lit  by  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  but  it 
was  preferable  to  a possible  stiff  neck. 

A pretty  young  girl  now  entered ; she  was 
the  nesan,  or  waitress.  She  is  a more  important 


64  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


personage  at  a Japanese  dinner  than  the  servant 
in  Europe  who  merely  hands  you  the  dishes,  and 
has  often  other  tables  to  wait  on  as  well  as  your 
own.  The  rman  squats  at  your  table  during  the 
whole  of  the  dinner ; she  joins  in  the  eonversa- 
tion,  pours  out  the  sake,  fans  the  guests  in  hot 
weather,  or  attends  to  the  hibachi  or  chareoal 
brazier  during  the  eold.  In  this  particular  case 
1 found  her  a useful  instructress  in  the  difficulties 
of  handling  the  chopsticks. 

I pointed  out  to  my  host  that  we  had  been 
favoured  with  the  prettiest  nesan  of  those  we 
saw  on  our  entry  to  the  hotel.  “ She  is  the 
daughter  of  the  landlord,”  my  friend  answered, 
“ and  I always  ask  for  her  when  I dine  here.” 
I asked  how  his  wife  approved  of  this,  and  of  his 
dining  out  so  often.  The  idea  of  ^\'ives  dis- 
approving, or  anyhow  giving  expression  to  their 
disapprobation,  had  evidently  not  entered  his 
mind. 

By  way  of  opening  the  conversation,  you  ask 
the  young  lady  her  name.  “You  of  name  as 
for,  what  that  say  ?”  would  be  the  literal 
translation  of  your  question.  This  one  answers, 
“ Take,”  with  an  apologetic  smile  for  having 
so  ordinary  a one.  Take  means  bamboo,  and 


KYOTO 


65 


Miss  Bamboo,  or  Take  San,  now  fills  two  little 
cups  with  green  tea,  and  places  some  sweets  on 
an  eight-inch  table  for  her  honourable  guests. 
“ What  is  your  age,  Takd  San  ?” — quite  the 
correct  thing  to  ask  a lady  in  Japan.  And  Take 
[ asks  you  to  guess,  and,  having  guessed  seventeen. 
Take  smiles  and  bows,  and  says,  “ Arigato.” 
You  wonder  why  she  says  “Thank  you.”  She 
answers  that  she  is  already  nineteen,  and  the 
thanks  are  for  the  compliment  of  having  given 
her  the  benefit  of  two  years. 

Having  sipped  a thimbleful  of  the  tea,  and 
leaving  the  sweets,  this  hors-d'oeuvre  is  removed, 
and  Miss  Bamboo  runs  to  the  paper  slides  and 
calls  out  for  the  next  course.  A second  waitress 
now  brings  in  a number  of  steaming  red  lacquer 
bowls  on  a lacquer  tray,  and  Take  places  the 
bowls  on  the  eight- inch  table  and  hands  us  both 
a pair  of  chopsticks.  The  latter  are  cut  out  of 
: a single  piece  of  wood,  and  are  still  sticking 
' together  at  one  end.  My  friend  splits  his  apart, 

I and,  while  I do  the  same,  he  explains  that  the 
' two  pieces  not  having  been  separated  insures 
their  never  having  been  used  before. 

A sensation  of  pins  and  needles  in  my  legs 
compels  me  to  change  my  position.  (3ne  of 
5 


66  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


them  has  got  so  stiff  that  I can  hardly  unbend  it. 
I can  sit  on  my  heels  no  longer,  and  Take 
considers  how  she  can  make  my  position  more 
comfortable.  She  fetches  a hijitsuki,  a kind  of 
rest  to  put  under  an  elbow,  and  she  places  two 
more  cushions  on  the  one  I had  been  using. 
I can  now  recline  like  a Roman  Emperor  at  a 
feast,  and  am  sitting  nearly  on  a level  with  the 
eight-inch  table. 

The  covers  are  now  taken  off  the  lacquer 
bowls,  and  Take  fills  two  little  cups  with  warm 
sak^ — a mild  spirit,  tasting  somewhat  like  sherry 
and  water.  When  anything  is  drunk  at  a meal, 
it  is  always  at  the  beginning,  and  not  at  the  end. 
We  empty  the  little  cups,  and  my  fiiend  plunges 
his  into  a bowl  of  water  and  then  hands  it  to 
Take.  She  receives  it  as  a special  mark  of 
consideration,  and  holds  it  out  while  my  friend 
pours  in  a few  drops.  Having  drank  this,  and 
made  an  appropriate  little  speech,  she  dips  the 
cup  in  the  water  and  returns  it. 

I wish  to  know  on  what  dish  I am  to  begin, 
as  I see  that  my  host  does  not  eat  until  I do. 
He  recommended  me  to  taste  them  all,  and 
leave  what  I did  not  like. 

I begin  on  one  which  corresponds  most  to  a 


KYOTO 


67 


soup,  and  is  called  owan  ; it  is  a broth,  with  fish 
and  mushrooms.  I try  to  catch  hold  of  a piece 
of  fish  with  my  chopsticks.  I raise  it  up  a 
certain  height,  and  one  of  the  sticks  slips,  and 
“ splosh  ” goes  the  fish  into  its  element. 

Miss  Bamboo  is  immensely  tickled,  and  takes 
a paper  napkin  from  a fold  in  her  obi  and  gives 
the  table  a wipe.  She  holds  a pair  of  chopsticks 
in  her  fingers,  to  show  me  how  it  is  done.  To 
encourage  her  in  the  lesson  I am  to  have,  I 
plunge  my  sak^  cup  into  the  bowl  of  water  and 
hand  it  to  her  ; I pour  in  a few  drops  of  sake, 
which  she  makes  a pretence  of  drinking,  and 
with  a little  speech  she  returns  me  the  cup  after 
rinsing  it  in  the  water. 

As  a mother  teaches  her  child  to  hold  a 
pen-holder,  so  Take  San  places  the  sticks  between 
my  fingers ; she  instructs  me  how  to  keep  one 
rigid  while  the  other  does  most  of  the  work. 
I have  another  try — raise  the  bit  of  fish  higher 
this  time,  and  drop  it  in  my  lap.  Take  is  aware 
that  she  may  laugh  to  her  heart’s  content  without 
giving  offence,  and  gives  full  play  to  her  hilarity. 

Tears  flow  fi-om  her  eyes,  which  are  now  two 
obhque  slits.  She  unsplits  a subsidiary  pair  of 
chopsticks,  and  makes  a dart  at  the  fish  in  my 


68  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


lap,  and  feeds  me  as  a blackbird  does  its  young 
with  a worm. 

The  liquid  broth  is  easily  managed,  as  the 
bowl  can  be  raised  and  drunk  like  a cup  of  tea, 
and  the  mushrooms  are  floated  in  with  it. 

The  next  bowl  contained  tamago  yaki,  which 
is  a mixture  of  egg  and  curded  beans.  It  is 
very  good  and  easy  to  take,  as  it  will  float  into 
the  mouth  with  a very  little  coaxing  with  the 
chopsticks. 

Now  why  has  Take  started  laughing  again  ? 
and  even  my  host  cannot  repress  his  merriment. 
My  moustache  was  likened  to  the  pine-tree,  with 
its  winter  covering  of  snow. 

I felt  for  my  napkin,  forgetting  that  we  had 
none,  and  was  just  getting  out  my  handkerchief, 
when  Take  produced  a paper  one  from  under 
her  obi. 

I succeeded  a little  better  with  a third  bowl, 
and  managed  to  secure  a small  octopus  and  some 
bamboo-shoots,  which  I ate  regardless  of  night- 
mares and  other  forms  of  indigestion.  I felt  I 
was  getting  on,  and  the  nesan  gave  an  encourag- 
ing smile.  She  then  trotted  up  to  the  slides  and 
called  out  for  the  next  course. 

The  first  was  several  courses  rolled  into  one. 


KYOTO 


69 


but  as  the  bowls  are  small  and  the  contents  very 
liquid,  I felt  1 could  do  with  another.  This  was 
a more  soHd  one,  a goodly-sized  goldfish — a 
severe  exercise  for  a beginner  in  chopsticks. 

I watched  my  friend  dig  pieces  out  of  his  and 
convey  them  to  his  mouth,  and  I waited  to  see 
if  he  would  choke  ; but  never  a fish-bone  left 
his  dish.  I dug  the  hachi  into  mine,  and  the 
movable  stick,  which  I looked  on  as  the  treble, 
slipped,  leaving  the  bass  one  sticking  in  the  side 
of  the  fish  fike  a large  harpoon  in  a very  small 
whale. 

A\''hen  I recovered  the  chopsticks,  I couldn’t 
get  pieces  out  of  the  fish  without  its  slipping 
about  and  nearly  leaving  the  little  dish  it  was  in. 
Miss  Bamboo  came  to  the  rescue,  and  pinned 
the  goldfish  firmly  do\vn  with  her  auxiliary  pair, 
while  1 grubbed  some  pieces  out  of  its  side.  It 
was  in  a cat-like  fashion  that  I finished  that  fish. 
Were  not  fingers  made  before  chopsticks  ? 

Take  San  now  calls  for  gohan.  I wonder 
what  gohan  may  be,  and  if  it  is  very  difficult 
to  eat. 

A maid  brings  up  a little  wooden  bucket  and 
places  it  on  the  matting  near  our  table.  Take 
takes  off  the  cover,  and  1 see  a steaming  mass  of 


70  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


boiled  rice  with  a wooden  spud  sticking  in  it. 
She  flops  a spudful  of  rice  into  two  china  bowls 
this  time,  and  passes  them  to  us.  So  far  the 
dishes,  with  the  exception  of  the  goldfish,  had 
been  Lilliputian,  but  the  helping  of  rice  was  fit 
for  a Gulliver. 

I was  wmndering  how  much  of  it  I could  leave 
for  manners,  and  the  thought  had  hardly  entered 
my  mind  when  my  friend  passed  up  his  bowd  to 
be  refilled.  Take  flops  in  another  lot  as  skilfully 
as  a mason  will  flop  a trowelful  of  mortar  on  to 
a brick,  and  with  equal  skill  my  friend  conveys 
the  contents  to  his  mouth. 

Such  dexterity  in  the  use  of  chopsticks  fills  me 
with  envy.  AVith  the  rice  ends  the  meal.  A 
little  tea  is  often  taken  in  the  last  bowlful,  and 
more  cups  of  tea  are  taken  while  the  little  pipe  is 
being  smoked. 

I was  quite  satisfied  that  I should  be  able  to 
live  on  Japanese  fare.  The  dishes  were  very 
good,  and  I felt  no  premonitions  that  I should 
be  ill  the  next  day  as  the  Portuguese  artist  had 
been  ; nor  did  I despair  of  overcoming  the  chop- 
stick  difficulties. 

I have  dwelt  rather  a long  while  on  this  meal, 
as  nothing,  so  far,  seemed  to  have  taken  me 


KYOTO 


71 


further  from  accustomed  surroundings  nearer 
home.  Sight-seeing  is  so  much  a part  of  travel 
that  most  people,  if  they  have  not  actually  seen 
the  different  things  which  each  country  has  of 
interest,  they  have  at  least  heard  of  them  or 
seen  them  reproduced  in  some  form  of  illustra- 
tion. Let  us  take  Venice  as  an  example. 
Overawed  with  the  beauty  of  St.  Mark’s,  and 
fascinated  with  the  charm  of  gliding  along  the 
canals  in  a gondola,  you  see  now  face  to  face 
what  you  feel  you  have  seen  before  dimly,  as  in 
a looking-glass  ; but  put  up  at  an  Italian  tratoria, 
instead  of  at  the  cosmopolitan  hotel  the  tourist 
usually  frequents,  and  then  see  how  you  are 
mentally  transplanted  into  a different  world. 

The  most  interesting  thing  in  each  country  is, 
after  all,  its  people,  and  to  get  some  insiglit  into 
their  characteristics  it  is  necessary  to  live 
amongst  them,  and,  if  time  permits,  to  learn  their 
language. 

I had  too  much  work  to  do  during  my  stay 
here  to  devote  much  time  to  the  study  of 
.Japanese.  I decided,  therefore,  that  the  next 
best  thing  would  be  to  look  about  for  an 
intelligent  guide,  and,  if  found,  to  get  clear  away 
from  everything  savouring  of  the  West. 


72  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  professional  guide  is  easily  obtained,  but 
as  they  are,  presumably,  here,  as  elsewhere,  what 
is  vulgarly  termed  “on  the  make,”  I felt  that 
I should  as  soon  tire  of  him  as  he  would  of  me. 

I asked  ]Mr.  Kanocogni  if  he  did  not  possibly 
know  of  some  young  artist  who  spoke  English 
or  French,  and  would  act  as  guide,  philosopher 
and  friend,  and  he  promised  to  see  if  he  could 
find  what  I wanted.  The  man  he  eventually 
got,  and  how  we  fared  together,  will  be  described 
later  on. 


I RISKS  A I'  KITANO 


CHAPTER  VI 

KYOTO  {continued) 

X HAD  some  time  yet  before  me  in  Kyoto.  The 
Japanese  iris  was  still  in  bud,  and  the  lotus- 
leaves  still  lay  flat  on  the  surface  of  the  water ; 
the  peonies  were  over,  and  only  a few  belated 
azaleas  still  drew  the  bees  within  their  petals. 

I painted  one  or  two  of  the  flow'erless  gardens, 
where  the  various  shades  of  green  are  only 
relieved  by  the  gi’eys  of  the  stone-work  and  the 
russet  bark  of  the  pines. 

Sho  had  to  skirmish  for  irises,  and  when  at  last 
he  had  found  what  I wanted,  irises  filled  all  my 
thoughts. 

I now  appreciated  how  an  esthetic  people  gets 
its  full  measure  of  enjoyment  out  of  its  flowers. 
The  mauves  and  purples  of  the  iris  are  not  seen 
here  inharmoniously  clashing  with  a patch  of 
yellow  escoltchias,  and  the  scarlet  geranium  is 
not  allowed  to  shout  down  the  modest  hue  of  the 
heliotrope. 


73 


74  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


When  the  folks  here  put  on  their  best  kimonos 
to  enjoy  irises,  they  see  irises  and  nothing  else. 
To  see  an  acre  or  more  of  Japanese  irises  is  a 
thing  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  beauty  of 
form  and  colour  of  the  nearer  ones  is  clearly 
defined  against  the  green  flags ; the  mauves, 
purples,  and  pale  pinks  are  dotted  about  the 
green  farther  on,  and  the  blending  together  of 
these  hues  as  they  form  into  masses  in  the 
distance  is  such  a feast  of  beautiful  colour  that 
one  may  well  rest  among  the  greenery  of  the 
purely  Japanese  gardens  till  the  lotus  appears. 
When  the  latter  die  down  there  is  a pause  in  the 
cultivated  flowers — broken  now  and  again  with 
the  morning  glory — till  the  chrysanthemum 
shows  make  the  year’s  final  tableau. 

I made  the  aquaintance  of  an  Englishman, 
Mr.  Blow,  who  has  lived  here  a good  many 
years ; he  has  a pretty  Japanese  house  and 
garden  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  overlooking  the 
city.  I found  some  large  patches  of  irises  here, 
of  a kind  I was  unacquainted  with.  It  was  a 
pretty  subject : — This  flowery  foreground,  with 
the  grey  city  in  the  distance  and  the  blue 
mountains  beyond. 

Mrs.  Blow,  a charming  .Japanese  lady,  asked 


KYOTO 


75 


me  to  lunch,  with  a promise  that  I should  see  her 
husband’s  collection  of  prints. 

It  was  my  first  entree  into  a Japanese  private 
house.  I took  off  my  boots,  as  one  to  the 
manner  born,  when,  to  my  horror,  I saw  part  of  a 
white  toe  sticking  out  of  one  of  the  black  socks. 
Now  it  is  astonishing  how  a detail  of  this  kind 
can  handicap  anyone  trying  to  make  a good  first 
impression. 

At  whatever  angle  I looked  1 saw  this  toe.  1 
avoided  looking  down  only  to  catch  sight  of  it  in 
a mirror.  Mrs.  Blow  did  as  if  she  had  not  seen 
it,  although  it  was  like  a white  bull’s-eye  on  a 
black  target — one  more  proof  of  the  courtly 
manners  of  this  people. 

The  prints,  however,  soon  banished  the  peccant 
sock  from  my  thoughts,  and  I could  revel  to  my 
heart’s  content  in  the  drawing  of  Hokusai  and 
Hirochige ; the  delightful  colour  arrangements 
of  Yeisen,  of  Yesan,  of  Utamaro,  and  of  a host  of 
others  who,  so  far,  were  unknown  to  me. 

Mr.  Blow  filled  me  with  covetousness  when 
he  produced  a large  sketch-book  full  of  the 
original  drawings  of  Hiroshige— rapid  sketches 
of  figures  in  motion,  groups  of  people,  and  sundry 
details  which  form  some  of  the  incidents  in  his 


76  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


famous  “ Fifty-five  Stages  of  the  Tokaido 
Road.”  He  also  possesses  a wonderful  kake- 
mono of  Hokusai,  and  quite  different  work  from 
anything  I had  ever  seen  of  that  great  artist.  It 
is  a very  highly-finished  picture  of  a geisha,  with 
a marvellous  pattern  on  her  dress — a subject 
treated  ad  nauseam  by  the  artists  of  the  middle 
of  last  century.  The  design  showed  that,  besides 
his  great  draughtsmanship,  he  had  an  imagination 
surpassing  that  of  most  of  his  contemporaries 
and  all  his  followers. 

Not  twenty  years  ago  good  colour  prints  could 
be  picked  up  for  a few  pence,  but  a large  number 
of  collectors  have  since  learnt  to  appreciate  them, 
with  the  usual  result,  and  the  rarer  specimens 
are  now  fetching  a good  many  pounds. 

On  returning  to  my  hotel,  I inquired  of  an  old 
resident  who  happened  to  be  staying  there 
where  European  socks  were  to  be  obtained.  He 
told  me  where  I could  find  what  I wanted,  and 
also  told  me  of  an  amusing  incident  concerning 
his  country’s  representative  here. 

His  Excellency  had  asked  my  new  acquaint- 
ance to  accompany  him  to  some  great  function 
and  act  as  his  interpreter.  On  arriving  at  the 
house  where  the  reception  was  held,  boots  had. 


KYOTO 


77 


of  course,  to  be  taken  off  before  stepping  on  to  the 
matting.  T o his  dismay,  the  diplomat  noticed  that 
a toe  showed  veiy  plainly  through  a hole  in  one  of 
his  black  socks.  He  decided  to  return  to  his  hotel, 
and  asked  my  friend  to  make  some  excuses  for 
his  non-appearance.  The  latter  was,  however,  a 
man  of  great  resource ; he  tipped  one  of  the 
servants,  and  asked  to  be  shown  into  some  office 
and  supplied  with  brush  and  Indian  ink,  and  here, 
with  a few  well-adjusted  touches,  he  gave  His 
Excellency  a toe  that  any  negro  might  have 
been  proud  of.  When  thoroughly  dry — for  it 
would  not  do  to  risk  blackening  the  trains  of 
some  of  the  ladies’  dresses — they  were  able  to 
attend  the  function,  and  no  one  was  any  the  wiser. 

I went  to  a theatre  with  one  or  two  others 
staying  in  the  same  hotel  as  myself.  We  were 
shown  up  some  rickety  stairs,  and  taken  to  what 
approximates  to  our  dress  circle.  The  seats  here 
being  fifty  sen  each  (equal  to  one  shilling),  we 
had  the  whole  circle  to  ourselves,  while  the  rest 
of  the  building  was  crowded.  They  brought  us 
a bench  to  sit  on,  as  some  of  our  party  could  not 
face  squatting  on  the  floor  for  the  rest  of  the 
evenmg. 

'riie  performance  had  probably  been  going  on 


78  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


since  midday,  but  as  it  had  still  two  or  three 
hours  to  run,  we  had  still  time  enough  to  see  all 
we  wanted.  The  audience  was  perhaps  more 
entertaining  than  the  play,  for,  needless  to  say, 
most  of  the  jokes  were  lost  on  us,  and  when 
the  house  was  moved  to  tears  it  left  us  with  dry 
eyes ; the  difficulty  was  not  to  laugh  at  the 
wrong  moment. 

The  theatre  was  a low  building,  mth  a gallery 
some  eight  feet  above  the  pit,  where  the  latter 
was  farthest  from  the  stage.  Nearly  the  whole 
auditorium  was  pit,  and  the  gallery  looked  like 
an  after-thought.  The  floor  was  di\dded  into  a 
number  of  low  pens,  the  size  of  a mat  each. 
Papa  and  mamma  and  two  or  three  hopefuls 
would  about  All  a pen,  and  where  the  family  was 
large  the  adjoining  pen  would  hold  the  rest  of 
the  children,  and  possibly  the  maid-servant.  The 
partitions  being  only  a foot  high,  there  was  easy 
access  from  one  compartment  to  another.  Each 
contained  a hibachi  to  fight  the  little  pipes  and 
receive  the  ashes  when  the  two  whiffs  had 
exhausted  the  fill  of  tobacco.  The  people 
brought  their  food  with  them,  and  little  earthen- 
ware pots  of  tea  were  to  be  obtained  in  the 
house.  It  looked  like  an  indoor  picnic. 


KYOTO 


79 


A peculiar  feature  of  Japanese  theatres  is  a 
low  bridge,  flush  with  the  stage,  and  which  crosses 
the  pit  at  right  angles  to  the  footlights.  The 
characters  who  enter  the  scene  after  the  curtain 
is  up  usually  come  in  by  it ; the  funny  man  will 
crack  his  little  jokes  with  the  members  of  the 
audience  as  he  crosses  above  their  heads.  A 
small  boy  will  sometimes  climb  up  and  do  a 
little  jesting  on  his  own  account,  and  when  the 
curtain  is  down  a lot  of  the  children  will  scramble 
up  on  to  the  stage  and  stick  their  heads  under 
the  curtain  to  see  what  is  going  on.  They  may 
apparently,  here  as  elsewhere,  do  just  as  they 
please. 

The  play,  or  rather  series  of  plays,  treated  of 
feudal  times,  which  it  is  hard  to  realize  only  dates 
back  fifty  years.  The  two-sworded  Samurai  was 
very  much  to  the  fore.  He  played  a kind  of 
knight-errant  part,  but  the  maiden  in  distress 
seemed  more  frightened  of  him  than  of  anyone 
else. 

When  the  first  scene  was  over,  there  was  no 
curtain — the  stage  revolved  like  a penny-go- 
round  till  the  next  scene  faced  the  audience,  the 
actors  remaining  on  it  all  the  while. 

The  women’s  parts  were  all  played  by  men. 


80  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  shortest  are  naturally  chosen  for  the  parts, 
and  their  voices  are  trained  accordingly. 

The  dialogue  was  sometimes  carried  on  by  the 
performers,  and  at  other  times  they  acted  in  dumb- 
show,  while  the  words  were  repeated  in  a sing- 
song voice  by  a man  sitting  in  a raised  box, 
something  like  that  of  a Punch  and  Judy  show. 
He  emphasized  the  stops  by  striking  a stick  on 
the  rail  of  his  rostrum. 

Two  boys,  who  were  supposed  to  be  invisible, 
because  they  were  dressed  entirely  in  black  and 
wore  black  masks,  were  dodging  in  and  out 
among  the  performers,  adjusting  a bow  here  or 
spreading  out  the  train  of  a garment  elsewhere. 
They  were  certainly  “seen  but  not  looked  at,” 
as  is  said  of  the  ladies  who  take  their  baths  in  the 
presence  of  the  opposite  sex. 

The  scenery  was  extremely  simple,  although  in 
very  good  taste,  and,  as  I anticipated,  the  acting 
was  very  clever. 

During  an  interlude  a dancing-girl  began  her 
turn  at  the  far  end  of  the  bridge,  doing  her  steps 
and  taking  the  postures  of  a first-rate  geisha. 
On  reaching  the  stage  itself  she  went  through 
the  most  graceful  evolutions,  the  fan  and  butterfly 
being  the  motive.  The  butterfly,  being  impaled 


KYOTO 


81 


on  the  end  of  a wire,  whieh  one  of  the  boys  in 
black  directed,  took  away  some  of  the  charm — •! 
was  not  yet  sufficiently  trained  in  treating  him  as 
non-existent. 

Our  rickshaw-men  had  chmbed  up  the  rickety 
stairs,  dress-circle  folk  being  so  scarce  that  there 
was  no  gate-keeper  to  stop  them,  and  they  calmly 
squatted  near  us.  I distinguished  Sho’s  ugly 
face  in  the  semi-darkness,  and  remarked  to  him 
how  clever  the  girl  was.  Sho  exploded : “She 
no  girl ; she  man !”  He  and  his  mates  seemed 
to  think  this  the  best  joke  of  the  evening. 

The  dancer  went  on  for  some  time,  doing  more 
and  more  wonderful  things  with  his  fan  and  with 
trailing  ribbons  ; but  I lost  all  interest  in  him  after 
being  aware  of  his  sex,  and  was  glad  when  the 
curtain  went  down,  or,  I should  say,  was  pulled 
across  the  stage. 

During  the  next  piece  I became  conscious  of 
a sickly  smell  of  drains,  which  had  also  crept 
up  the  rickety  stairs,  and  it  gradually  hung  like 
an  invisible  cloud  over  the  gallery.  One  of  our 
party  was  snoring  rather  loudly,  while  my  other 
male  companion  had  been  trying  to  keep  awake, 
so  as  to  get  his  full  shilling’s  worth.  While  one 
eye  was  open,  I suggested  to  him  that  it  was 
6 


82  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


time  we  left.  “ It’s  not  over  yet,”  he  said,  waking 
up  sharp.  “ I’ve  been  to  Japanese  plays  before, 
and  they  never  end  without  cutting  olf  heads.” 
The  lady  of  our  party,  a Eurasian,  looked  as  if 
she  could  stand  a bit  more  drain,  and  so  we 
stayed  on.  Her  husband  snored  louder  than 
ever,  the  Scotchman  dropped  his  head  forward 
and  brought  it  up  with  a jerk,  and  I anxiously 
awaited  the  head-cutting,  so  as  to  get  away  from 
the  drain. 

Heads  did  not  exactly  fly  off  at  the  finale, 
although  a couple  of  Samurai  were  doing  their 
best,  and  when  the  curtain  went  down,  all  the 
actors  had  been  laid  out  flat,  save  one  who  was 
wiping  his  sword. 


THK  OLEANDER 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  OLEANDER 


O painter  should  be  able  to  resist  a graee- 


fully-grown  oleander  in  bloom.  The  one 
I fell  a victim  to  was  in  a graveyard  which  sur- 
rounded a small  Buddhist  temple.  It  was  raining 
slightly  when  I began  my  drawing,  but  the  spread- 
ing eaves  of  the  shrine  gave  me  a sufficient  shelter. 
The  grey  light  suited  my  subject.  When  the 
sun  .showed  itself  at  intervals,  awkward  shadows 
and  the  shine  on  the  wet  stones  destroyed  its 
charm. 

While  painting  specimen  irises  in  the  garden 
of  a Buddhist  priest,  who  dwelt  not  far  from  here, 
I made  the  acquaintance  of  an  intelligent  young 
Japanese,  Kiyoshi  IMasuda  by  name.  He  spoke 
English  fairly  well,  and  1 owe  to  him  much  of 
the  information  1 got  about  Japanese  manners 
and  customs,  as  well  as  of  that  difficult  subject 
— the  fusion  of  two  religions  fundamentally  so 
different  as  are  Shintoism  and  Buddhism.  He 


83 


84  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


was  also  well  informed  about  the  arts  and  crafts 
of  his  country,  being  an  able  assistant  at  the 
stores  of  Messrs.  Nomura,  where  a large  collec- 
tion of  objects  of  art  and  vertu  are  displayed.  It 
being  the  slack  season  of  the  year,  he  was  able  to 
give  me  a good  deal  of  his  company  while  painting 
this  graveyard,  and  also  during  the  remainder  of 
my  stay  in  Kyoto. 

Shintoists  lay  side  by  side  with  Buddhists 
under  the  wet,  grey  stones.  Dedicated  to  a 
Shinto  god  at  its  birth,  the  child  is  brought  up 
in  the  family  cult,  and  to  pay  due  respect  to  the 
tablets  of  the  ancestors,  which  are  on  a shelf  in 
every  Japanese  household.  The  child  may  be 
taken  to  attend  the  services  at  Buddhist  temples 
of  the  sect  to  which  its  parents  incline,  but 
whether  he  attends  these  or  merely  does  his 
duty  as  a follower  of  the  earlier  religion,  he  will 
most  probably  at  his  death  rest  in  a graveyard 
attached  to  some  Buddhist  shrine. 

The  absence  of  religious  or  moral  teaching 
in  Shintoism  draws  many  who  feel  this  want 
to  the  Buddhist  shrines,  where  an  occasional 
sermon  is  preached,  and  where  a gorgeous  ritual 
appeals  to  their  senses.  They  are  allowed  to 
retain  their  own  gods,  whom  Buddhism  has 


THE  OLEANDER 


85 


embraced  in  its  pantheon,  and  considers  in  most 
cases  avatars  of  one  of  its  own  deities.  Nature- 
worship  and  ancestor-worship,  the  tv^o  main 
features  of  the  indigenous  religion,  have  also 
been  tolerated  by  the  Buddhist  priesthood  ever 
since  they  first  set  foot  in  .Japan. 

My  friend’s  Enghsh  did  not  go  quite  far 
enough  to  give  me  a lucid  explanation  of  this, 
but  it  gave  me  a start,  and,  with  the  help  of 
what  Professor  Chamberlain  and  Lafcadio  Hearn 
have  written  on  the  subject,  I am  beginning  to 
get  some  insight  into  the  mental  attitude  of  the 
.Japanese  towards  their  creeds. 

Accustomed  as  we  are  in  other  parts  of  the 
world  to  find  people  quarrelling  over  slight 
differences  of  dogma,  the  toleration  of  the 
.Japanese  is  striking.  There  is  also  no  anti- 
Christian  feeling  as  far  as  I could  gather. 
1 watched  the  people  when  a Salvationist 
band  went  by,  and  could  see  no  signs  of 
antagonism ; whereas  I can  well  remember  the 
hostility  of  the  onlookers  when  first  the  followers 
of  General  Booth  paraded  the  streets  in  IjOiidon. 
If  the  missionary  abstains  from  interfering  with 
the  customs  of  the  people,  he  may  cany  on  his 
work  without  let  or  hindrance. 


86  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Had  Christian  countries  shown  a better 
example  by  carrying  out  the  principles  of  their 
creed,  there  is  little  doubt  but  what  Christianity 
would  have  been  made  the  State  religion  of 
Japan. 

The  Government,  when  reconstructing  society 
after  the  revolution,  actually  appointed  a Com- 
mission to  examine  and  report  on  how  far 
Christianity  was  instrumental  in  ehecking  crime 
and  vice.  The  report  was  far  from  encouraging, 
and  Shintoism  was  made  the  official  religion. 

Buddhist  priests,  who  had  invaded  most  of  the 
Shinto  temples,  had  to  leave,  and  many  a shrine 
was  denuded  of  its  best  works  of  art  where 
these  were  part  and  parcel  of  the  Buddhist  creed. 
A difficulty  sometimes  arose  as  to  the  owner- 
ship of  some  of  the  rehcs.  The  bones  of  a saint 
would  be  claimed  by  both  parties  where  the 
saint  was  known  to  have  observed  the  ordinances 
of  both  religions.  Who  was  to  keep  a valuable 
statue  of  a god  which  each  party  worshipped 
when  the  creed  and  even  name  of  the  donor  had 
long  since  been  forgotten  ? 

Shinto  shrines  are  now  kept  in  repair  by  the 
State,  and  the  Buddhist  temples  are  often  sadly 
dilapidated  where  the  worshippers  are  too  poor 


THE  OLEANDER 


87 


to  pay  for  keeping  them  in  repair.  When  the 
shrine  is  one  of  especial  importance,  an  appeal  is 
made  to  the  country  at  large,  and  the  where- 
withal to  defray  the  cost  of  repairing  is  generally 
collected.  A striking  example  was  seen  when 
the  celebrated  Higashi  Hongwanji  was  burnt 
down  early  in  the  nineties. 

Nearly  a hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling 
was  collected  in  the  neighbouring  provinces  of 
Kyoto,  besides  which  much  of  the  material  and 
labour  was  the  gift  of  the  people.  Thousands  of 
women,  having  nothing  more  substantial  to  con- 
tribute, cut  off  their  hair  to  make  hawsers  to 
draw  the  timbers  which  form  the  huge  pillars. 
These  hawsers,  twenty-nine  in  all,  are  still  shown 
with  pride  by  the  bonze  who  conducts  you 
round  the  temple,  as  an  ocular  proof  that 
Buddhism  was  not  extinguished  when  dis- 
established by  the  State. 

The  slight  rain  we  had  when  I began  my 
drawing  gradually  increased  in  quantity ; the 
gravestones  blackened  and  shone  as  the  water 
trickled  down  their  sides  ; the  face  of  the  Buddha 
darkened,  and  his  habitual  placid  gaze  seemed  to 
cliange  as  I gradually  saw  it  reflected  in  a grow- 
ing pool  at  his  base. 


88  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  eaves  of  the  temple,  though  sheltering  us 
from  the  downward  pour,  were  no  protection 
from  the  splashing  when  the  water  overflowed 
from  the  choked  guttering.  We  crawled  round 
the  edge  of  the  building,  and  found  shelter 
under  the  porch,  where  we  could  continue  our 
talk. 

A woman  was  inside  the  little  temple,  and  was 
repeating  a thousand  times  the  formula  “ Namu 
amida  Butso.”  If  repeated  that  often,  gi-eat 
blessings  are  attached  to  this  prayer.  Time 
is  saved  by  only  saying  the  word  “ Butso  ” at 
intervals,  and  the  u of  the  first  word  is  eliminated. 

The  prayer  of  the  supplicant  made  a plaintive 
accompaniment  to  our  conversation.  When  she 
tired  she  would  whisper,  “ Nam  amida,  nam 
amida,”  then  gradually  increase  the  sound  till  it 
reached  to  a loud  and  prolonged  wail ; she 
would  then  prostrate  herself  again  on  the 
matting,  and  with  sighings  and  sobbings  con- 
tinue the  formula  in  a hushed  voice. 

My  friend  was  not  a Buddhist,  being  a 
follower  of  the  earlier  religion ; he  showed, 
however,  no  pitying  contempt  for  the  vain 
repetitions  of  this  woman  : “ By  concentrating 
her  mind  on  these  words  she  is  able  to  banish  all 


THE  OLEANDER 


89 


worldly  thoughts,  and  draw  near  to  the  abstract 
idea  which  ‘ amida  ’ represents.” 

The  rain  now  abated,  and,  as  we  wandered 
away,  the  woman’s  “ Nam  amida,  nam  amida  ” 
followed  us  till  the  sound  was  lost  in  the  noises 
of  the  street. 

I returned  to  the  oleander  the  next  day  to 
complete  my  drawing.  The  rains  had  washed 
off  some  of  the  petals  of  the  flowers,  but  this 
had  been  more  than  compensated  for  by  the 
attentions  of  the  grave-keeper’s  wife,  who  had 
decorated  the  tombs  with  a profusion  of  white 
lilies.  Nothing  could  have  suited  the  compo- 
sition better,  and  the  idea  the  flowers  conveyed 
was  as  pretty  as  their  form. 

When  the  rain  held  oft’,  my  friend  M.  Masuda 
rejoined  me,  and  while  I painted  the  lilies  he 
descanted  on  the  significance  of  various  unfamiliar 
objects  I saw  in  this  graveyard.  The  sotoha 
here  seen  is  a long  narrow  slab  of  wood,  notched 
at  the  top,  with  characters  painted  on  one  of 
the  surfaces.  Bundles  of  them  are  sometimes 
fastened  to  the  tombstones ; some  decaying, 
others  witli  the  lettering  barely  visible,  and  often 
one  which  looked  as  having  come  freshly  from 
the  carpenter’s  shop.  They  are  placed  here  at 


90  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


intervals  by  the  relatives  of  the  deceased.  But 
as  the  texts  on  them  are  wTitten  in  Sanskrit,  my 
friend  could  not  help  me  as  to  their  meaning. 
The  sotoba  is  also  used  as  a gravestone,  and 
then  its  form  is  more  clearly  defined.  It  is  a 
combination  of  ball,  crescent,  pyramid,  sphere, 
and  cube,  which  symbolize  respectively  ether, 
air,  fire,  water,  and  earth.  Another  favourite 
device  is  the  lotus-seed,  which  in  size  and  shape 
is  somewhat  like  a Grenadier’s  bearskin. 

A Buddha  seated  on  a lotus-flower  is  seldom 
absent.  But  the  most  common  form  of  tomb- 
stone is  a shaft  rounded  at  the  top  and  resting 
on  a triple  plinth,  with  the  name  and  status  of 
the  deceased  inscribed  on  the  former. 

A large  flat,  upright  stone  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  few  visitors  who  came.  It  was  erected 
to  a young  sergeant  who  fell  in  the  last  war,  and 
whose  bravery  was  such  that  the  Empress  headed 
the  list  of  subscriptions  to  defray  the  cost  of  the 
monument.  I carefuUy  copied  his  name,  and 
those  of  my  readers  who  can  read  Japanese  will 
be  able  to  decipher  it  on  the  left-hand  side  of 
my  drawing. 

Since  then  the  oleander  has  lost  its  bloom, 
and  reverent  hands  will  have  placed  lotus-flowers 


THE  OLEANDER 


91 


where  the  lilies  bedecked  this  grave ; these  will 
have  given  place  to  the  chrysanthemum,  and 
while  the  snow  lies  thick  on  the  neighbouring 
hills,  sprays  of  plum-blossom  will  be  keeping 
fresh  the  memory  of  the  young  hero. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE  JUDAS-TREE  AND  POMEGRANATE 

Ij'lROM  the  middle  of  June  till  the  end  of  the 
following  month  there  is  no  display  of 
cultivated  flowers  till  the  lotus-ponds  attract  the 
holiday-makers.  The  morning  glory  is  more  of 
a household  pet  than  a garden  decoration,  and  by 
the  time  that  the  rains  have  abated  specimens 
of  this  convolvulus  may  be  seen  in  pots  in  almost 
every  shop.  The  plants  are  dwarfed,  and  rarely 
more  than  one  or  two  blooms  are  seen  at  a time ; 
by  careful  selection  the  flowers  have  attained  a 
size  seldom  seen  elsewhere.  In  colour  they 
range  from  white,  through  pink  and  blue,  down 
to  the  darkest  violet. 

The  shopman,  squatting  amongst  his  wares, 
takes  his  fill  of  their  beauty  in  the  intervals 
between  attending  to  his  customers.  He  has  no 
time  to  lose,  for  the  day  is  not  far  spent  when 
his  prized  blooms  close  up  and  drop  their  petals 
before  he  lights  his  store  in  the  evening.  He 

92 


THE  Jl'DAS  TREE 


JUDAS-TREE-  -POMEGRANATE  93 


consoles  himself  for  the  loss  by  contemplating  a 
bud,  scarcely  notieeable  in  the  morning,  which 
now  promises  to  rival,  on  the  following  day,  the 
short-lived  glory  of  the  vanished  blooms. 

Kiyomizu  Tera,  the  most  enchanting  of 
Kyoto’s  shrines,  was  not  far  from  the  hotel,  and 
when  in  doubt  for  a subject,  I was  always  sure 
to  find  one  there  or  in  its  beautiful  surroundings. 
The  question  at  this  time  of  the  year  was  to  find 
one  where  I could  work  under  shelter,  for  the 
weather  was  only  fine  then  at  lucid  intervals. 

The  steep  street  leading  up  to  this  unique 
temple  is  lined  with  china  shops,  where  cheap 
and  brightly-coloured  earthenware  do\h,  Kiyomizu 
yaki,  are  sold  to  the  pilgrims  who  visit  this 
popular  shrine.  An  imposing  flight  of  steps 
leads  to  a two-storied  gateway,  and  beyond  this 
two  pagodas  and  numerous  other  minor  buildings 
are  passed  before  reaching  the  hondo  or  main 
temple.  At  the  entrance  a magnificent  bronze 
dragon  vomits  a jet  of  water  into  a stone  basin  ; 
wooden  ladles  float  on  the  surface,  and  it  is  a 
pretty  sight  to  see  little  ehildren  filling  them  at 
the  mouth  of  this  terrible  creature,  either  to 
drink  the  water  or  wash  the  faces  of  the  babies 
slung  to  their  backs. 


94  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  huge,  roughly-hewn  columns  and  the 
worn  and  matless  floor  suggest  a fortress  rather 
than  a place  of  worship.  But  what  impresses 
the  visitor  most  is  the  bold  way  in  which  the 
temple  is  adapted  to  its  site.  A balustrade  runs 
round  the  south  side,  and  leaning  over  it — after 
being  satisfied  that  it  will  not  give  way — he 
looks  across  a deep  and  thickly-wooded  valley 
to  the  city  lying  below  and  the  blue  mountains 
in  the  far  distance.  The  platform  he  stands  on 
projects  well  over  the  steep  hill-side  to  which 
Kiyomizu  clings,  and  is  .supported  by  a row  of 
massive  piles  whose  bases  are  lost  in  the  greenery 
beneath. 

Winding  paths  descend  through  the  woods, 
and  wherever  there  is  a good  point  of  vantage,  a 
little  tea-house  or  shed  is  erected,  these  often 
being  held  up  on  piles  as  if  in  imitation  of  the 
great  building  above  them.  To  the  left,  the 
valley  is  shut  in  by  an  almost  precipitous  hill 
clothed  with  pines,  camphor-trees,  and  evergreen 
oaks.  A flight  of  stone  steps  is  visible  here  and 
there,  which  lead  to  a shrine  just  showing  among 
the  foliage. 

Amidst  the  mass  of  green  which  I overlooked 
stood  a Judas-tree  in  full  bloom ; it  was  a 


JUDAS-TREE  -POMEGRANATE  95 


different  species  to  what  I had  seen  in  the  South 
of  France  and  Italy,  but  I felt  satisfied  that  the 
pale  mauve  blossom  would  harmonize  better 
with  its  surroundings  than  the  crimson  usually 
associated  with  that  tree.  A tea-shed  some  way 
down  the  valley  promised  both  shelter  and  a 
good  view  from  it  there ; with  a slight  shifting 
of  the  tree,  I was  able  to  get  it  in  combination 
with  the  part  of  the  temple  1 had  just  left. 

The  changes  in  the  effect  were  interesting  to 
watch,  but  most  exasperating  to  paint ; at  times 
the  mist  entirely  blotted  out  the  background. 
The  rain,  so  far,  had  only  come  in  samples,  but 
having  satisfied  us  all  that  it  vv'as  of  the  proper 
wet  sort,  it  now  came  down  in  bulk.  The  shed 
1 was  under  was  only  built  to  cope  with  the 
samples,  and  my  sketching  umbrella  had  to  be 
put  up  to  ward  off  the  pit,  pit,  pit  which  irritated 
my  neck,  and  also  a jet  of  water  doing  its  best 
to  alter  my  last  effect  in  the  drawing.  There 
was  nothing  to  do  now  but  to  try  and  get  some 
drawing  into  the  tree  and  temple,  and  wait  for  a 
propitious  moment  to  fly  back  to  the  hotel. 

I returned  to  the  Judas-tree  on  the  following 
day  and  painted  it  in  a drizzling  rain.  The 
effect  w'as  not  so  exciting  as  some  I had  seen  it 


96  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


under,  but  there  was  no  time  to  lose.  The 
heavy  rain  had  washed  off  a good  deal  of  the 
blossom,  and  what  remained  had  lost  most  of  its 
colour ; another  reason  made  it  a case  of  now  or 
never — the  Judas-tree  was  no  more  the  sole 
mistress  of  my  affections. 

I had  wandered  that  morning  thi’ough  the 
graveyards  on  the  slopes  above  Chion-in,  and 
ascended  a flight  of  stone  steps  through  the 
woods,  to  see  what  there  might  be  beneath  the 
dark  mass  of  cryptomerias  which  shut  out  the 
sky  above.  A few  moss-covered  stone  lanterns, 
and  a Buddha  who  had  lost  his  nose  at  some 
remote  period  of  his  contemplations,  suggested 
the  approach  to  a shrine.  Both  to  the  right  and 
left  of  me,  in  little  clearings  in  the  woods,  were 
two  more  graveyards,  which  had  probably  held 
their  complement  of  ancestors  for  more  than  a 
century.  The  fantastic  shapes  of  the  stones  were 
barely  discernible  through  the  gro^vth  of  moss 
and  lichen  which  covered  them.  In  a few  cases 
the  little  stone  basins  had  still  been  cleared  and 
fresh  water  supplied  by  a living  descendant  of 
the  deceased,  and  a few  wooden  sotoba  were  still 
sufficiently  sound  to  show  that  the  family  cult 
had  been  kept  up  till  a recent  period.  The 


JUDAS-TREE— POMEGRANATE  97 


water  stagnating  in  the  other  basins  was  but  the 
drip  from  the  overhanging  boughs  which  shaded 
the  little  cemetery. 

After  a hundred  years  it  is  presumed  that  the 
deceased  has  become  a Buddha,  and  that  his 
spirit  needs  no  more  food  or  water  from  his 
descendants.  Till  that  lapse  of  time  any  neglect 
on  the  part  of  his  living  representatives  may 
result  in  dire  consequences  to  their  household. 

I decided  to  make  a study  of  this  almost- 
forgotten  graveyard,  but  had  first  to  satisfy  my 
curiosity  as  to  what  I might  find  at  the  top  of 
the  steps.  They  led,  very  much  as  I expected, 
to  a small  Buddhist  temple,  and  going 
round  this  rather  dilapidated  building,  I came  on 
a neat  little  habitation  of,  presumably,  the  priest 
— a simple  little  structure,  but  glorified  by  a 
beautifully-shaped  pomegranate- tree  just  bursting 
into  bloom. 

The  graveyard  could  wait,  but  not  this  nor 
any  other  blossoming  shrub.  I found  the  priest 
at  home.  I made  him  understand  what  I wanted, 
and  was  soon  trying  to  do  justice  to  the  delightful 
subject  which  a lucky  chance  had  thrown  in 
my  way. 

It  is  pleasant  to  leave  off' with  an  assurance  that 


98  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


for  some  days  at  least  the  subject  would  improve 
in  beauty.  The  blossoms  were  not  fully  out,  and 
the  innumerable  buds  promised  a grand  display 
ere  long.  The  beauty  of  the  .Judas-tree  was  on 
the  wane,  and  I even  doubted  whether  I should 
find  any  blossom  left  on  my  return  that  after- 
noon. 

To  admire  a tree  or  garden  of  a Japanese  is  as 
sure  a way  to  his  heart  as  to  admire  a child  is  to 
that  of  its  mother.  When  I returned  here  the 
next  day  the  good  priest  placed  a hibachi  near  me, 
in  case  I wished  to  smoke,  and  brought  the  usual 
cup  of  green  tea.  It  was  a delightful  spot  to 
work  in  ; as  it  was  on  the  way  to  nowhere  else,  I 
had  hardly  any  inquisitive  people  to  watch  my 
proceedings.  I told  Masuda  where  I was  work- 
ing, and  he  joined  me  here  the  following  morning. 

While  practising  his  English  he  was  able  to 
enlighten  me  on  many  things  which  I was  keenly 
interested  to  know.  He  also  carried  his  good- 
nature so  far  as  to  pose  for  me,  in  the  doorway, 
in  the  attitude  of  one  receiving  a guest.  I had 
sketched  in  the  figure  of  the  lady  makmg  her 
obeisance,  and  wanted  the  man  to  complete  the 
subject.  When  he  took  his  pose  I remarked  that 
he  did  not  curtsey  as  lowly  as  the  lady,  and  was 


JUDAS-TREE— POMEGRANATE  99 


told  that  this  was  not  the  etiquette ; but  had  a 
woman  been  recei\dng  a male  \dsitor,  she  would 
have  been  down  on  her  knees,  with  her  head  to 
the  floor. 

Though  so  much  has  been  reorganized  in 
Japan  during  the  last  fifty  years,  matters  of 
etiquette,  and  the  relations  of  the  sexes  generally, 
are  the  outcome  of  so  long  a period  of  training 
that  it  may  take  centuries  to  alter  them.  A 
Westerner  may  regret  that  these  charming 
women  are  always  obliged  to  take  a back  seat 
when  brought  in  contact  ^\^th  the  opposite  sex, 
although  their  happy-looking  faces  and  delightful 
manners  soon  console  him  that,  however  unjust 
the  training  may  have  been,  the  results  give  us  a 
type  of  womanhood  which  has  possibly  never 
been  excelled. 

Any  signs  of  grief  or  vexation  having  been 
considered  bad  manners  in  every  class  of  society 
for  numberless  past  generations,  a cheerful  view 
of  things  has  become  a part  of  their  natures.  The 
smile  required  originaDy  by  good  manners  is  now 
much  more  often  the  natural  expression  of  a 
happy  disposition. 

Don’t  imagine  for  one  moment  that  she  is  an 
insipid  or  mcapable  creature.  As  mistress  she 


100  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


can  make  herself  obeyed  by  her  servants  without 
ever  having  to  lower  her  dignity  by  becoming  a 
scold  ; the  devotion  and  amount  of  work  she  gets 
out  of  her  dependents  would  astonish  a European 
housekeeper.  This  devotion  is  not  got  by  the 
mere  fact  of  feeding  and  paying  the  wages  of  the 
maids  in  her  employ,  for  she  understands  that 
her  duties  towards  her  serv^ants  are  quite  as  great 
as  those  of  her  servants  are  towards  herself. 

Parents,  unless  they  belong  to  the  most 
degraded  classes,  carefully  choose  the  household 
to  which  they  send  their  daughters,  domestic 
service  being  considered  a preparation  for 
marriage.  The  wages,  often  consisting  of  little 
more  than  a suit  of  clothes  twice  a year,  are  of 
secondary  consideration,  and  are  arranged,  not 
between  the  individuals  chiefly  concerned,  but  by 
the  two  households  to  which  servant  and  mistress 
belong.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  small  farmer  class 
supply  the  best  servants,  and  the  parents  of  the 
latter  hold  themselves  responsible  for  the  good 
behaviour  of  their  daughters.  The  engagement 
may  be  for  four  or  six  years,  according  to  the  age 
of  the  maid,  but  it  usually  lasts  till  the  parents 
have  arranged  their  daughter’s  marriage. 

In  this  important  matter  the  gn-1  herself  has  no 


JUDAS-TREE— POMEGRANATE  101 


more  say  than  she  has  in  the  choice  of  the  house- 
hold into  which  she  enters.  She  is  taught  to 
look  on  her  mistress  as  on  a foster-mother,  and  she 
seldom  sees  her  parents  except  when,  at  certain 
intervals,  they  bring  presents  to  her  employers. 
When  her  turn  of  domestic  service  is  over,  and 
she  is  about  to  enter  the  marriage  state,  her 
mistress  will  often  supply  her  with  her  trousseau. 

Up  to  the  present  the  servant  difficulty  does 
not  appear  to  exist ; a respectable  household  need 
have  no  fear  of  not  getting  well-behaved  domestics 
to  wait  on  it.  Servant  - talk,  that  bugbear  in 
England  and  America,  is  seldom  heard. 

WJiile  I endeavoured  to  get  the  characteristics 
and  beauty  of  the  pomegranate,  my  young  friend 
Mr.  Masuda  chatted  about  these  and  other 
matters. 

We  got  on  to  the  subject  of  marriage — more 
suggestive,  perhaps,  of  a blossoming  orange  than 
of  the  scarlet  flowers  I was  painting. 

He  had  not  entered  the  holy  state  himself ; 
very  early  marriages  are  not  encouraged  now,  as 
formerly,  and  obligatory  military  service  and  the 
prolonged  course  of  study  required  before  enter- 
ing  a profession  have  also  tended  to  increase  the 
age  of  matrimony.  He  told  me  that  he  was 


102  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


almost  sure  to  have  to  serve  in  the  army,  as  he 
had  no  physical  defects,  and,  being  an  orphan,  no 
parent  depended  on  what  he  earned  ; neither  had 
he  the  exemption  which  professional  studies  some- 
times allowed.  It  was  therefore  best  not  to 
think  of  matrimony  tiU  this  was  over. 

The  idea  of  remaining  a bachelor,  unless 
intended  for  the  priesthood  of  one  of  the  Buddhist 
sects  where  celibacy  is  compulsory,  would  nev^er 
enter  the  mind  of  any  young  man  belonging  to  a 
nation  whose  social  organization  has  been  founded 
and  kept  together  by  ancestor-worship. 

Marriage  was  compulsory  till  within  quite 
recent  times,  and  though  not  legally  enforced 
now,  custom  demands  that  every  man  should 
carry  on  the  family  cult.  Where  only  daughters 
are  born  of  the  marriage,  a son-in-law  is  found 
who  will  become  also  a son  by  adoption,  and 
carry  on  the  cult  of  the  ancestors  of  the  family 
of  his  bride.  Poor  men  only  will  put  themselves 
in  this  false  position.  The  son-in-law,  who  thus 
becomes  a son  by  adoption,  changes  his  name  for 
that  of  the  family  into  which  he  marries,  and  their 
gods  become  his  gods,  and  their  people  his  people. 
The  family  cult  cannot  be  carried  on  through  the 
female  line,  though  the  duties  attending  on  this 


THE  POMEGRANATE 


JUDAS-TREE -POMEGRANATE  103 


cult  are  usually  deputed  to  the  women  of  the 
household. 

Now  marriage  is  a very  different  thing  in  the 
Far  East  to  what  it  is  in  European  countries. 
It  is  not  a religious  ceremony,  nor  is  it  as  binding 
a contract  as  in  Christian  countries,  and,  except 
m very  rare  instances,  neither  of  the  two  parties 
chiefly  concerned  have  any  say  in  the  matter. 
Parents  consider  it  as  much  their  duty  to  provide 
wives  for  their  sons  and  husbands  for  their 
daughters  when  they  liave  reached  the  marriage- 
able age  as  it  is  their  duty  to  provide  them  with 
food  and  education. 

It  does  not  follow  that  the  young  couple  be 
even  acquainted  with  the  families  with  whom  they 
are  to  be  connected,  for  the  arrangements  are  left 
to  the  nakodo,  a match-maker.  He  is  usually  a 
married  man,  not  a woman,  as  the  term  “ match- 
maker ” suggests  to  Anglo-Saxon  ears.  He  is 
a mutual  fi  iend  of  the  two  families,  and  becomes, 
as  it  were,  a godfather  to  the  young  couple  when 
his  arrangements  have  been  completed. 

IVe  often  pity  ourselves  in  England  when  the 
duties  of  a trustee  to  a marriage  settlement  are 
thrust  on  us  ; but  our  responsibilities  are  light 
indeed  compared  to  those  of  the  nakodo.  Should 


104  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


the  marriage  turn  out  a failure,  the  couple  look 
to  him  to  untie  the  knot  which  has  bound  them 
together  ; but  if  he  be  a tactful  man,  he  will  often 
bring  the  husband  to  a proper  sense  of  duty,  and 
be  able  to  avoid  so  extreme  a measure.  Obedience 
to  the  will  of  her  husband  and  to  that  of  her 
parents-in-law  has  become  so  much  a part  of  a 
Japanese  woman’s  nature  that  it  is  seldom  her 
fault  when  family  disputes  arise.  Should  she  not 
bear  him  children,  custom  allows  the  husband  to 
have  a concubine,  and  the  children  he  may  get 
by  this  left-handed  union  become  his  legitimate 
heirs.  Divorce  is  much  more  common  among 
the  poorer  classes  than  among  the  well-to-do,  for 
when  the  couple  do  not  agree  the  poor  man  has 
not  the  means  to  console  himself  with  a concubine. 
Where  law  and  custom  favour  one  sex  so  very 
much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  other,  the 
cheerful  countenance  of  the  Japanese  woman  is 
indeed  surprising. 

Now  to  return  to  the  duties  of  the  nakodo. 

Having  satisfied  the  parents  of  the  young 
couple  that  the  match  is  a suitable  one,  he 
arranges  a meeting  between  the  young  man  and 
his  destined  bride.  His  own  house  or  that  of  a 
mutual  friend  is  usually  chosen,  but  among  the 


JUDAS-TREE— POMEGRANATE  105 


humbler  classes  this  may  take  place  at  a theatre, 
at  a temple,  or  wherever  it  may  suit  their  con- 
venience. Obedience  to  the  w'ill  of  their  parents 
is  so  ingrained  in  the  youth  of  this  country  that, 
whether  the  two  most  chiefly  concerned  be 
mutually  attracted  to  each  other  or  not,  they,  as  a 
rule,  accept  their  fate,  as  their  fathers  and  mothers 
had  done  before  them. 

Shortly  after  this,  the  match-maker  conveys 
to  the  young  woman  a present  from  her  intended, 
and  if  her  parents  accept  this,  the  betrothal 
becomes  a binding  contract.  The  sumptuary 
laws  of  the  country  used  to  regulate  the  value 
of  this  present,  in  order  that  the  poorer  classes 
should  not  be  led  into  extravagance  by  trying  to 
imitate  those  more  favoured  by  Fortune.  To 
choose  an  auspicious  day  for  the  wedding  is 
considered  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  when 
that  comes,  the  poor  little  woman  is  dressed  in 
white — the  colour  of  mourning — and  towards 
evening  she  is  carried  in  a litter  to  the  house 
of  her  bridegroom,  or  more  generally  to  that  of 
his  parents. 

The  idea  of  the  mourning  is  that  she  has  died 
to  her  own  family,  and  on  her  leaving  the 
parental  home,  it  is  swept  out  and  purified  in 


106  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


the  same  way  as  when  a corpse  has  been  carried 
out  for  burial. 

The  pledging  of  each  other  in  little  cups  of 
sake  constitutes  the  actual  wedding,  and  the 
bride  then  changes  her  funereal  garment  and 
appears  in  one  befitting  a festive  occasion — an 
emblem  of  a new  birth  into  the  family  of  her 
husband.  The  bridegi’oom  changes  his  garments 
at  the  same  time,  while  the  wedding  guests  sit 
down  to  the  feast.  This  often  lasts  till  the  time 
arrives  when  the  nakodo  and  his  wife  conduct 
the  newly-married  pair  to  the  bridal  chamber. 
Here  there  is  more  pledging  of  each  other  in 
little  cups  of  sake,  and  the  ceremonies  are  then 
completed. 

Cases  do,  however,  occur  nowadays  where  the 
young  woman  is  the  choice  of  her  intended 
husband,  and  I am  told  that  marriages  through 
mutual  attraction  are  on  the  increase. 

A Japanese  friend  introduced  me  to  his  wife, 
who  is  a very  pretty  woman.  1 asked  him 
afterwards  if  he  had  not  had  more  say  in  the 
matter  than  the  nakodo,  and  he  told  me  that 
they  had  managed  to  arrange  it  themselves 
without  that  gentleman’s  help.  He  had  spent 
some  years  in  Europe,  and  decided  to  be  married. 


JUDAS-TREE— POMEGRANATE  107 


or  at  all  events  to  choose  his  wife,  a V Europeennc. 
His  father  was  not  living  to  prevent  such  a 
departure  from  custom,  and  how  far  his  other 
relations  may  have  disapproved  he  did  not  tell  me. 

Readers  wishing  to  learn  more  about  this 
subject  will  find  a detailed  account  in  a conclud- 
ing chapter  in  A.  B.  Mitford’s  “ Tales  of  Old 
Japan.”  Professor  Chamberlain  also  gives  us  a 
long  article  on  marriage  in  “ Things  Japanese.” 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  LOTUS 


N excessively  hot  summer  followed  on  the 


rains,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  lotus,  I 
should  have  left  Kyoto  early  in  July  for  some 
summer  resort  in  the  hills  near  Fujiyama. 

I was  more  anxious  to  see  and  paint  the  lotus 
than  perhaps  any  of  the  other  flowers  which 
mark  the  different  periods  of  the  Japanese  year. 
It  is  of  less  value  pictorially  than  the  cherry  or 
wistaria,  and  than  many  others  which  I could 
name,  since  it  does  not  form  into  great  masses  of 
colour,  and  at  the  most  can  only  tell  as  dots  of 
white  or  pink  in  its  setting  of  greyish-green  leaves. 

I had  seen  its  form  conventionally  treated  on 
the  walls  of  ever}'^  ruined  temple  in  Egypt,  and 
here  in  Japan  no  Buddhist  shrine  seemed  com- 
plete without  it. 

For  some  days  I had  seen  its  stately  leaves 
rising  up  from  the  surface  of  a pond  fringed  with 
hydrangeas  while  painting  these  flowers  for  my 


108 


THE  LOTUS 


109 


book  on  gardens,  but  it  was  not  till  the  end  of 
July  that  I set  eyes  on  the  actual  flower  whose 
presentment  had  become  so  familiar  to  me  in  the 
Near  as  well  as  in  the  Far  East. 

The  hydrangeas  had  withered  when  the  first 
buds  of  lotus  were  ready  to  open.  The  proprietor 
of  the  pond  and  adjoining  tea-house  began  to  rig 
up  sheds  to  accommodate  the  visitors  which  any 
display  of  flowers  is  sure  to  attract  in  this 
country.  One  of  these  not  only  gave  me  shelter 
ft’om  the  sun,  but  it  enabled  me  to  sit  sufficiently 
high  to  see  well  above  the  leaves  in  the  fore- 
ground, which  now  rose  three  or  four  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  water. 

It  was  necessary  to  get  here  early  in  the 
morning,  for  when  the  sun  is  near  reaching  its 
zenith  the  flowers  close  up.  A contrary  process 
goes  on  with  the  leaves,  which  are  often  curled 
up  early  in  the  day  and  open  as  the  morning 
advances. 

Mr.  Alfred  Parsons,  in  a charming  little  book 
on  the  flowers  of  Japan,  mentions  this  difficulty 
in  painting  lotuses,  and  he  might  have  added 
another,  and  that  is,  when  a puff  of  wind  catches 
the  leaves,  it  may  upset  a whole  foreground 
which  the  artist  is  struggling  to  draw.  The 


110  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


drawing  of  the  leaves  as  well  as  of  the  flowers  is 
full  of  beauty,  and  most  difficult  to  approximate  ; 
the  relations  of  the  bluish  sky  reflections  on  their 
outward  surfaces  of  the  leaves  to  the  juicy  greens 
where  the  light  passes  through  them  is  as  hard 
to  get  as  their  complex  drawing. 

Crowds  of  holiday-makers  do  not  flock  here,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  cherry-blossom,  or  even  the 
irises,  for  the  lotus  is  always  associated  in  the 
minds  of  the  Japanese  with  funerals.  A certain 
number  came,  however,  and  at  times  each  shed 
held  its  complement  of  men  and  women,  who 
sipped  their  tea,  smoked  their  little  pipes,  and 
gave  themselves  up  to  the  full  enjoyment  of 
flower-gazing. 

At  this  time  of  the  year  pleasure  resorts,  as 
well  as  the  business  parts  of  Kyoto,  are  abandoned 
from  noon  till  four  or  five  o’clock.  It  is  so  hot 
that  even  the  rickshaw-men  seem  little  anxious 
to  pick  up  a fare  should  a stray  pedestrian  venture 
out  in  the  heat. 

Kyoto  wisely  goes  to  sleep,  and  Kyoto  wakes 
up  when  the  sun  has  sunk  sufficiently  to  cast 
shadows  across  her  streets.  Maruyama  Park 
then  fills  up.  Every  bench  round  the  small  lake 
is  soon  occupied  by  women  and  children,  who 


l.Ol'USES 


THE  LOTUS 


111 


throw  crumbs  to  the  wild-fowl  and  goldfish  ; the 
geishas  take  air  and  exercise  before  entertaining 
the  guests  at  the  dinner-parties ; the  tea-houses 
and  booths  which  line  the  approach  to  Gion  do  a 
brisk  trade ; and  within  the  precincts  of  this  temple 
men  and  women  clap  tlieir  hands  before  the 
many  shrines,  and  rattle  the  rope  against  the 
gongs  hanging  from  the  lintels. 

The  Japanese  are  accused  of  not  taking  their 
religion  seriously,  which  is,  I hold,  a wrong  im- 
pression : they  take  it  cheerily,  and  draw  no  hard- 
and-fast  line  between  their  innocent  pleasures  and 
their  devotions.  At  the  great  annual  festival,  and 
also  once  a month,  when  people  flock  in  greater 
numbers  to  the  Gion  temple,  the  booths  and  toy- 
shops are  rigged  up  in  the  precincts  themselves. 
The  sounds  of  w’^orship  mingle  strangely  with  the 
showman’s  exhortations  to  come  and  see  a pig  with 
two  heads,  or  with  the  prattle  of  the  cheap-jack. 

From  July  17  to  24  the  Gion  JMatsuri  takes 
place.  The  image  of  the  Sliinto  god  Susa-no-o  is 
carried,  on  the  evening  of  the  first  date,  to  his 
O Tabisho — that  is,  his  sojourn  in  the  country 
with  his  goddess. 

The  temple  buildings  are  lighted  with  hundreds 
of  paper  lanterns,  and  a dense  crowd  fills  the 


112  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


precincts  to  see  the  god  off  on  his  happy  journey. 
Everyone  is  well-behaved,  and  the  police,  who 
appear  to  carry  nothing  more  formidable  than  a 
paper  lantern,  have  no  difficulty  in  clearing  a 
space  to  allow  the  huge  litter  to  approach  the 
main  building. 

No  sooner  had  the  god  been  placed  on  his  port- 
able throne  than  the  wildest  excitement  got  hold 
of  the  crowd  of  young  men  who  had  volunteered 
to  be  the  bearers.  They  wore  no  clothes  save  a 
loin-cloth,  and  when  a dozen  or  more  shouldered 
the  four  shafts  of  the  litter,  they  looked  like 
demons  trjdng  to  seize  the  sacred  image.  Others 
lighted  the  ends  of  long  bundles  of  bamboo, 
brandished  them  about,  and  very  effectually 
cleared  the  space  deemed  necessary  for  the  god 
to  pass  through. 

There  was,  to  all  appearance,  a fight  going  on 
as  to  the  road  the  god  should  take : his  litter  was 
first  rushed  one  way,  then  another,  shot  backwards 
and  then  forwards,  the  men  shouting  all  the  while. 
This  was  all  the  more  surprising  coming,  as  it  did, 
from  a people  who  are  usually  so  quiet. 

My  friend  Masuda,  who  accompanied  me, 
explained  that  this  was  generally  the  case.  “ The 
god  did  not  at  once  make  up  his  mind  as  to  the 


THE  LOTUS 


113 


itinerary,  and  till  all  the  bearers  pulled  the  same 
way  it  was  not  known  by  which  route  he  wished 
to  go  to  his  O Tabisho.”  A rush  one  way  which 
seemed  more  determined  than  the  previous  ones 
finally  decided  the  question,  and  the  god,  with  his 
noisy  escort  of  torch-bearers,  was  carried  into  the 
darkness  beyond  the  great  stone  torii  facing  the 
dancing- stage. 

I We  now  hurried  out  of  the  precincts  and 
I worked  our  way  through  Gion  Machi,  the  main 
street  which  leads  from  the  temple  down  to  Shijo 
Bridge.  W e knew  the  god  would  have  eventually 
to  pass  that  way  before  reaching  his  goddess  in  the 
country  on  the  western  extremity  of  the  city. 

A .Japanese  imitation  of  a European  cafe,  or, 
rather,  German  beer-hall,  overlooks  the  farther 
end  of  the  bridge,  and  to  this  my  friend  and  I 
hurried,  so  as  to  be  in  time  to  get  seats  com- 
manding a good  view.  The  beer  is  an  excellent 
imitation  of  the  German  product,  and  whatever 
I the  creeds  of  the  thirsty  ones  might  have  been, 

I all  drank  to  the  health  of  Susa-no-o  and  to  his 
; expectant  goddess. 

^ The  river,  which  was  very  much  swollen  a 
week  previous  to  this,  now  showed  more  than 
two-thirds  of  its  pebbly  bed,  and  it  was  possible 
8 


114  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


for  people  to  walk  about  between  the  western 
bank  and  the  main  stream.  The  gullies  which 
intersected  the  stony  bottom  were  bridged  over, 
and  tea-houses  and  booths  of  various  sorts  were 
erected  on  piles,  both  in  the  stream  itself  as  well 
as  in  the  pools  and  the  lesser  water-courses.  This 
nightly  fair  reached  from  the  Shijo  Bridge  to  the 
one  higher  up,  a distance  of  about  a third  of  a 
mile.  The  whole  was  lighted  with  innumerable 
paper  lanterns,  and  presented  a most  fairy-like 
scene. 

People  assemble  here  every  evening  during  the 
latter  part  of  July  and  August  to  cool  themselves 
in  the  draught  caused  by  the  river.  Some  will  sit 
on  the  mats  sipping  their  tea,  their  feet  dangling 
in  the  rumiing  water.  Supper-parties  are  held,  and 
geisha  girls  entertain  the  guests  ^\Tith  the  samisen; 
little  gullies  are  dammed  up  so  as  to  form  tempo- 
rary fish-ponds,  round  which  sit  numbers  of 
children  angling  for  miniature  goldfish ; merry- 
go-rounds,  shooting-galleries,  and  quaint  Japanese 
Aunt  Sallies  are  rigged  up  in  every  available 
space.  In  the  pebbly  alley -ways  between  the 
shows  an  orderly  crowd  wanders  about,  laughing 
and  chatting,  while  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  god 
at  the  bridge. 


THE  LOTUS 


115 


I We  presently  hear  the  shouts  of  the  bearers, 

I and  see  the  light  of  the  torches  reflected  on  the 
j houses  of  Gion  Machi.  The  crowd  is  ordered 
1 off  the  bridge  by  the  little  policemen  with  paper 
lanterns. 

With  a wild  rush  and  loud  shouts  Susa-no-o 
and  his  escort  of  torch-bearers  take  possession  of 
Shijo.  No  sooner  was  the  bridge  crossed  than 
the  frantic  efforts  of  the  god  to  reach  his  goddess 
ceased ; he  gibbed,  if  one  may  say  so  of  a god, 
backed,  and  then  made  a dash  for  the  balustrades 
j to  the  right  and  left  of  him.  His  bearers  were 
: now  in  a frenzy  of  excitement,  some  pulling  him 

j one  way,  some  another,  and  then,  as  if  agreed 
that  the  goddess  could  wait  a few  minutes  longer, 
they  ran  their  sacred  load  back  to  the  east  end  of 
' the  bridge.  They  crossed  and  recrossed  it  several 
times  before  they  continued  their  way  to  the 
western  part  of  the  city. 

During  the  six  following  nights  the  empty 
shrine  of  Susa-no-o  was  the  chief  attraction  of 
Kyoto.  Thousands  of  pilgrims,  who  had  come 
in  from  the  surrounding  provinces,  would  attend 
the  fair,  and  end  the  evening  in  the  tea-houses 
in  the  bed  of  the  Kamogawa. 

Everyone  declared  that  this  was  the  hottest 


116  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


July  on  record ; the  early  morning  and  an  hour 
or  two  before  sunset  were  the  only  times  when 
work  seemed  possible. 

The  heat  forced  up  the  lotuses,  and  I was 
thankful  to  be  able  to  get  into  the  hills  by  the 
beginning  of  August. 

I dined  with  Mr.  Kanocogni  down  at  Shijo  a 
day  or  two  before  leaving,  and  he  was  able  to 
inform  me  that  he  had  found  the  very  man  I 
needed  as  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend  for  the 
next  few  months. 

Our  dinner  was  at  a restaurant,  built  out  over 
the  stream  and  within  sight  of  the  Shijo-gawara 
no  suzumi,  or  the  alfresco  fete  which  nightly 
takes  place  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  The  chief 
dish  was  a particular  fish  which  is  eaten  raw,  and 
was  yet  unconsciously  swimming  about  in  a tub 
lashed  to  the  piles  supportuig  the  dining-stage. 
I had  practised  the  use  of  chopsticks  since  my 
first  Japanese  meal,  but  the  idea  of  eating 
uncooked  fish  made  me  go  hot  and  cold.  I had 
eaten  smoked  fish  in  Germany,  and  also  raw  fish 
pickled  in  various  ways,  but  to  see  it  taken  out 
of  its  element,  and  its  still  quivering  flesh  placed 
before  me  the  next  minute,  nearly  made  me  sick. 

I was  recommended  to  dip  the  pieces  into  a 


THE  LOTUS 


117 


little  bowl  of  shoyu,  a favourite  sauce  in  Japan, 
and  concentrating  my  thoughts  on  the  sauce,  I 
ate  some,  and  almost  succeeded  in  persuading 
myself  that  it  was  rather  nice.  Anxious,  how- 
ever, not  to  appear  greedy,  I may  have  left  more 
than  manners  actually  required,  and  swallowed 
several  little  cups  of  sake  with  the  haste  wdth 
which  a child  swallows  orange  vdne  after  a dose 
of  cod-liver  oil.  A slight  suspicion  of  that  useful 
medicine  had  not  been  drowned  in  the  sake,  for 
it  lingered  on  through  a part  of  the  next  course. 

There  were  three  pretty  little  geisha  girls 
dining  under  the  third  paper  lantern  from  ours. 
One  was  extremely  pretty,  and  pointing  this  out 
to  my  host,  I was  told  that  she  was  “No.  3.” 
I naturally  wished  to  know  what  “ No.  3 ” meant. 
“ For  wit  and  beauty  she  is  given  that  place 
amongst  the  geisha  of  Kyoto.”  I wondered 
what  “No.  1 ” might  be  like.  “ Not  necessarily 
more  beautiful,”  was  my  answer ; “ for  wit  ranks 
equally  high,  and,  as  a matter  of  fact,  “ No.  3 ” is 
perhaps  the  prettiest,  though  not  as  clever  as  the 
two  first  ones.”  It  was  rather  a shock  when  I 
saw  pretty  Miss  “ No.  3 ” poke  a piece  of  raw  fish 
between  her  rosy  lips.  1 reflected  that  a .Japanese 
would  probably  be  as  shocked  to  see  a pretty 


118  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


English  girl  eating  underdone  beef  at  home,  and 
I knocked  one  of  my  few  remaining  prejudices 
on  the  head. 

To  my  surprise,  “No.  3 ’’and  hertwo  companions 
trotted  up  to  where  we  were  squatting  when  our 
respective  meals  were  over.  They  went  down 
on  their  knees,  and  bowed  till  their  heads  touched 
the  matting.  My  friend  received  this  homage 
with  a slight  bow  and  a smile,  and  introduced 
them  to  me.  Belonging  to  the  superior  sex,  it 
w'ould  not  have  been  polite  to  have  introduced 
me  to  them — this  is  in  Japan,  I hasten  to  add. 
Renewed  prostrations  for  my  benefit  now 
followed,  and  I did  my  best  to  receive  these  as 
due  to  the  superiority  of  the  male  sex.  They  could 
not  stop  to  sip  tea  ^nth  us,  since  they  were  due 
at  a performance,  where  they  were  going  to 
dance ; they  bid  us  good-bye  now  with  bows  more 
familiar  than  reverential,  and  \\*ith  that  low  laugh 
which  is  as  natural  to  them  as  breathing  they 
tripped  out  of  the  room,  and  I saw  them  no  more. 

I remarked  to  my  friend  how  thankful  I was 
that  the  craze  which  obtained  some  years  ago  for 
adopting  European  dress  had  died  out.  He,  as 
an  artist,  would  be  sure  to  appreciate  tliis. 
“ Indeed  1 do,”  he  answered ; “ not  only  the 


THE  LOTUS 


119 


artists,  but  all  the  men,  thought  the  Western 
dress  unbecoming  to  our  women,  and  they  were 
not  long  in  returning  to  their  national  costume. 
It  is  also  less  extravagant,  on  account  of  there 
being  no  sudden  changes  in  fashion,  and  it  is  more 
cleanly  from  its  being  much  simpler  to  wash.” 

I also  remarked  that  the  Japanese  were  too 
short-legged  to  wear  becomingly  Western  dress. 
“ W e are  altering  that,”  he  said,  and  as  I naturally 
looked  sceptical,  he  hastened  to  assure  me  that  it 
was  a fact.  Medical  men  had  come  to  the  con- 
j elusion  that  the  kneeling  posture  of  the  children 
I impeded  the  circulation,  and  prevented  the  full  de- 
I velopment  of  the  lower  limbs,  in  consequence  of 
which  all  school-children  are  now  obliged  to  sit 
on  stools  during  lesson-hours.  Careful  measure- 
ments are  periodically  made,  and  it  is  proved 
beyond  doubt  that  the  children  on  leaving  school 
have  now  longer  legs  than  those  of  their  parents. 
They  are  indeed  a wonderful  people  ! 

The  geisha  is  an  institution  so  essentially 
Japanese  that  a few  words  on  the  subject  may 
not  be  out  of  place  here. 

Anyone  professing  or  calling  himself  a Christian 
can  hardly  fail  to  condemn  it,  and  in  truth  Occi- 
dentals generally,  whether  they  hold  the  faith  of 


120  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


their  forefathers  or  not,  still  hold,  unconsciously 
perhaps,  sufficient  to  condemn  an  institution 
which  they  feel  is  lowering  to  the  sex  of  wife, 
mother,  or  sister.  A Japanese  would  answer 
that  it  might  be  immoral  for  a European  society 
to  recognize  such  an  institution  ; but  as  he  is 
not  a Christian,  and  does  not  admit  that  woman 
is  on  an  equality  wdth  man,  the  suppression  of  the 
geisha  would  not  morally  improve  his  country. 
One  may  point  out  that  it  is  not  fair  to  sacrifice 
these  girls  for  the  pleasure  men  may  derive 
thereby,  whether  the  country  they  are  born  in 
be  heathen  or  Christian.  The  probable  answer 
would  be,  that  she  gets  more  enjoyment  out  of 
her  butterfly  existence  than  she  would  hav’^e 
done  had  her  parents  not  sold  her  as  a child  to 
the  keeper  of  the  geisha  house,  but  had  made 
her  work  knee-deep  in  the  paddy-fields  to  get 
barely  food  enough  to  keep  her. 

“ What  becomes  of  her  when,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven,  her  term  with  the  geisha-keeper 
comes  to  an  end  ?”  “ A few  marry,  more 

become  concubines,  and  the  remainder,  if  they 
have  been  able  to  save  a little  money,  keep 
geisha  houses  themselves  in  their  turn.” 

Now,  having  prefaced  my  description  of  the 


GEI.SHAs 


THE  LOTUS 


121 


geisha  with  an  imaginary  argument,  let  us  see 
how  this  w^onderful  work  of  art  is  produced. 

Bought  wLile  a little  child,  of  the  neediest 
parents,  if  her  looks  and  health  promise  a good 
investment,  she  becomes  the  property  of  her 
mistress  till  she  reaches  an  age  wdien  her  attrac- 
tions are  on  the  decline.  Her  discipline  is  a 
severe  one,  and  none  but  an  experienced  hand 
could  turn  this  peasant-child  into  the  accom- 
plished little  w'oman  she  is  destined  to  become. 
In  Kyoto  she  is  daily  sent  to  the  school  for 
nieiko  (the  name  she  goes  by  till  she  reaches  the 
age  of  fifteen) ; she  is  taught  to  read  and  wTite, 
and  all  the  ordinary  things  learnt  in  an  elementary 
girls’  scliool.  Besides  this,  she  has  to  spend  hours 
learning  the  different  postures  of  the  Japanese 
dance ; slie  is  taught  to  play  the  drum,  the 
samisen,  and  possibly  the  cotto — musical  instru- 
ments requiring  much  more  skill  than  one  would 
suppose.  The  elaborate  etiquette  observed  at 
weddings  and  other  social  gatherings  must  be 
acquired  ; drawing-room  games,  polite  speech, 
and,  above  all,  to  look  her  best  on  all  occasions. 
She  may  have  to  accompany  geisha  to  dinner- 
parties when  only  eight  or  ten  years  of  age, 
w'here  she  will  beat  her  drum  in  accompaniment 


122  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


to  the  other  musical  instruments,  and  mark  time 
to  tlie  dance  of  her  elder  sisters.  She  must  fill 
tlie  little  wine-cups  to  the  brim  without  spilling 
a drop,  and  be  careful  that  every  movement  is 
graceful.  By  the  time  she  is  twelve  or  thirteen 
she  will  be  sent  out  to  banquets,  to  dance  ^\ith 
meiko  of  her  own  age,  and  at  fifteen  or  sixteen 
she  may  make  her  debut  as  a geisha. 

I was  taken  round  the  school  of  the  meiko, 
and  watched  them  being  taught  all  these  accom- 
plishments. There  might  have  been  a hundred 
or  more  little  girls,  and  though  I was  conscious 
that  they  were  all  the  slaves  of  geisha- keepers, 
they  looked  so  healthy  and  happy  that  I failed 
to  feel  sufficiently  sorry  for  their  lot. 

The  Japanese  are  naturally  kind  to  children, 
and  it  is  in  the  interest  of  their  owners  to  keep 
them  in  good  health  and  in  happiness,  for  a 
doleful-faced  geisha  is  wanted  nowhere. 

While  I was  watching  the  teacher  of  the 
samisen  instructing  a slopy-eyed  little  pupil 
how  to  handle  the  plectrum,  a party  of  Anglo- 
Saxons  came  in — two  large,  stout  women  and 
a rather  pretty  girl  of  about  eighteen.  The 
contrast  in  their  appearance  to  that  of  the 
teachers  in  this  school  was  startling.  Tliey 


THE  LOTUS 


123 


would  have  been  considered  tall  anywhere,  but 
here  they  looked  giantesses.  The  two  older 
women  had  ponderous  shoulders  and  busts,  and 
I their  pinched-in  waists  accentuated  the  bulk  of 
their  hips.  They  looked  as  if  they  felt  that  they 
I were  too  big,  and  were  doing  their  best  to  cut 
' themselves  in  two.  They  unsealed  the  building 
; we  were  in  ; the  passages  now  looked  too  narrow, 
the  ceilings  too  low.  They  were  unbecomingly 
hot,  and  their  voices  sounded  too  loud.  The 
, young  girl’s  face  was  pretty,  but  her  figure  and 
' movements  were  that  of  a boy.  She  suggested 
hockey  more  than  any  graceful  accomphshments. 
Their  dresses  made  me  thankful  that  the  women 
of  Japan  had  retained  their  national  costume. 

I The  fat  women  were  upholstered  rather  than 
clothed,  and  the  girl’s  dress  did  not  become  her 
j for  the  lack  of  feminine  grace  to  carry  it  off. 

In  outward  appearance  the  difference  between 
these  women  of  the  two  races  was  great,  but 
worlds  separated  them  sociologically. 

The  careworn  expression  of  the  teachers  told 
i of  long  hours  of  drudgery  patiently  borne  and 
poorly  remunerated.  And  for  what  purpose  ? 

I To  turn  these  bought  children  into  elegant  toys 
for  the  pecuniary  benefit  of  their  keepers  ! 


124  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  prosperous  look  of  the  tourists  was  almost 
aggressive.  They  might  come  and  go  whither 
they  willed,  and  could  indulge  their  desires  with 
the  wealth  which  others  had  toiled  for.  They 
would  be  treated  with  deference  by  their  men- 
folk instead  of  being  their  servants.  The  young 
lady  could  hope  to  marry  the  man  of  her  fancy, 
and  could  not,  like  the  young  pupils  in  this 
school,  be  bought  and  sold  to  a life  of  degrada- 
tion. To  be  sure,  the  social  position  of  these 
Occidentals  was  different  to  that  of  their  Oriental 
sisters  they  had  come  to  see,  and  had  they  been 
visiting  a school  for  young  ladies  of  the  well-to-do 
classes  in  Japan,  their  conditions  would  have  con- 
trasted less,  but  the  race  differences  would  have 
been  just  as  striking. 

I had  been  told  that  wit  told  as  much  as  beauty 
towards  the  success  of  the  meiko  when  she  made 
her  debut  as  a geisba.  Now,  young  women  with 
more  than  a slight  sense  of  humour  are  rare  in 
most  countries.  That  this  automatic  training 
should  ever  develop  real  wit  seems  hard  to 
believe.  That  it  does  exist  will,  I think,  be 
proved  by  the  following  specimen. 

A Mr.  Sizer,  a young  Englishman  in  one  of 
the  foreign  settlements,  met  some  geishas  at 


THE  LOTUS 


125 


an  entertainment.  The  letter  “ i ” in  his  name 
being  pronounced  here  the  same  as  in  Latin 
countries,  he  was  called  what  to  our  ears  would 
, sound  like  Ceesar  San. 

! A slight  breach  of  etiquette  on  his  part  made 
I one  of  these  girls  pretend  that  she  was  offended, 
I and  she  left  the  room  for  a short  while.  On  her 
I return  the  Enghshman  asked  her  if  she  had  for- 
I given  him,  when  she  drew  herself  up,  and,  in  a 
voice  of  mock  tragedy,  quoted  in  good  English 
the  opening  lines  of  Mark  Antony’s  speech : 

I “ I come  to  bury  Ca?sar,  not  to  praise  him.” 

Now  this  would  have  been  a clever  retort  from 
a well-educated  English  or  American  woman, 
t but  coming,  as  it  did,  from  a Japanese  dancing- 
girl,  it  sounds  incredible.  I can,  however,  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  the  storj\  It  is  just  possible 
that  she  belonged  to  a different  class  to  that 
' from  which  the  majority  of  the  geishas  come, 

I and  was  turning  her  talents  and  looks  to  account 
j in  order  to  assist  parents  that  had  got  into 
straitened  circumstances.  In  some  cases  a 
I good  marriage  ends  their  butterfly  career,  but 
too  often  the  end  of  these  charming  little 
creatures  is  too  unpleasant  to  dwell  on. 


CHAPTER  X 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 

Having  completed  tant  hien  que  mol  my 
studies  of  the  lotus  pond,  1 decided  to 
get  away  from  the  heat  of  Kyoto  at  once,  and  go 
to  Shdji.  There  was  so  much  in  the  old  capital 
which  I had  proposed  painting,  and  so  many 
sights  I had  deferred  seeing  to  leisure  days  which 
never  came,  that  I left  this  beautiful  city  with 
the  firm  intention  of  returning  to  it  as  soon  as 
cooler  weather  would  make  work  a possibility 
and  sight-seeing  a pleasure. 

The  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend  that  Mr. 
Kanocogni  had  kindly  procured  me  arrived  in 
time  for  us  to  catch  the  night  train  to  Tokyo. 

Hirosue  Tsuda  is  his  name.  We  will  mtroduce 
him  to  the  reader  as  the  G.P.F.,  trusting  that  I 
this  may  not  be  mistaken  for  some  Government  i 
department. 

We  reached  Gotemba  about  eleven  on  the 
following  morning,  and  had  barely  time  to  get 

126 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


127 


our  baggage  into  the  primitive  little  tramway 
which  skirts  a part  of  the  base  of  Fujiyama  and 
ends  at  Kami-Yoshida.  As  the  crow  flies  the 
distance  is  only  fifteen  miles,  but  we  soon  found 
that  the  straight  course  which  that  bird  supposedly 
^ takes  is  very  different  to  the  one  of  this  tramway. 

I W e also  had  not  realized  that  we  had  to  rise  some 
i two  thousand  feet,  and  we  had  made  no  allowance 
for  the  time  spent  in  coaxing  the  car  on  to  the 
rails  after  the  numerous  times  it  got  off  them. 

For  eight  hours  we  had  to  sit  on  a hard  and 
I narrow  bench  in  the  little  car,  tightly  packed  with 
all  sorts  and  conditions  of  country-folk.  The 
I derailments  allowed  us  to  stretch  our  legs  a little, 
and  after  getting  used  to  them  they  came  almost 
as  a relief.  We  were  too  tightly  packed  to  be 
j shaken  very  much  after  we  had  picked  up  the 
I car’s  full  complement  of  passengers,  and  a fat 
woman  next  to  me  made  a very  good  buffer. 

Our  fellow-passengers,  being  mostly  of  the 
humbler  classes,  were  much  more  communicative 
than  the  ones  we  had  as  companions  in  the  night 
! express,  also  much  more  amusing.  As  none 
were  likely  to  understand  English,  the  G.P.F. 
was  able  to  discuss  them  with  me,  and  interpret 
any  of  the  talk  which  caused  most  entertain- 


128  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


merit.  A Buddhist  priest  of  the  Zen  sect  and  a 
jolly  old  farmer  were  the  wags  of  the  party ; the 
accidents  on  the  line  were  looked  on  as  huge 
jokes,  and  the  directions  they  volunteered  to  the 
hands  occupied  in  righting  the  car  on  to  the  rails 
gave  them  ample  scope  for  their  witticisms.  A 
small  tradesman  and  his  concubine  sat  between 
them,  and  more  or  less  led  the  laughter,  as  the 
claque  in  a French  theatre  leads  the  applause. 
There  were  one  or  two  students  on  their  way 
to  climb  Fuji,  who  were  getting  into  training 
by  leaving  the  car  at  intervals  to  climb  a hill, 
joining  us  again  when  we  had  circled  round  a 
part  of  its  base. 

An  elderly  woman,  who  fortunately  sat  in  the 
farther  corner  to  the  one  I was  in,  was  suffering 
from  a severe  catarrh ; she  used  pieces  of  a 
newspaper  as  a handkerchief,  and  threw  them  out 
of  the  window,  showing  her  contempt  for  modern 
journalism  at  the  same  time.  She  and  another 
woman  were  the  more  serious  part  of  the 
company.  The  latter  had  . two  babies  with 
insatiable  appetites ; the  poor  creature  would 
hardly  finish  nursing  one  when  the  second  would 
cry  for  its  dinner.  She  looked  the  picture  of 
exhausted  maternity ; she  would  probably  have 


FUJIVAMA  KKOM  SIlOJl 


V 


r.‘4. 


4< 


4 

#• 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


129 


laughed  with  the  rest  of  them  had  she  a laugh 
left  in  her.  My  fat  neighbour  and  excellent 
buffer  was  a woman  of  many  negative  qualities  ; 
ready  to  laugh  or  look  serious,  and  to  agree  with 
everything  and  everybody.  My  luggage  filled 
up  the  little  platform  for  the  driver,  who  sat  on 
the  upturned  end  of  my  trunk  and  let  his  legs 
dangle  over  the  splash  - board.  Like  most 
.lapanese  drivers,  he  had  no  whip,  but  was  able 
to  make  the  pair  of  ponies  do  their  utmost  by 
means  of  those  peculiar  sounds  which  the  Jehu 
of  every  country  is  an  adept  at  making.  He  was 
very  popular  with  the  ladies,  had  a little  chaff 
with  every  peasant-gh’l  we  met  or  overtook  on 
the  road,  and  one  who  was  canying  an  extra 
large  bundle  was  allowed  to  climb  up  on  his 
platform,  provided  that  she  jumped  oft’  before 
reaching  the  station  where  he  was  likely  to  meet 
the  inspector.  “ Always  ready  to  give  a good- 
looking  girl  a ride  for  nothing,”  he  informed  the 
company,  while  the  young  woman  settled  down 
on  the  top  of  my  suit-case,  and  deposited  her 
bundle  on  my  hold-all. 

I was  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  catch  up 
some  raw  eggs,  a doughy  kind  of  bun,  and  some 
apples,  in  a little  village  we  passed,  or  I should 
9 


130  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


have  had  nothing  from  six  o’clock  that  morning 
till  we  reached  Yoshida. 

It  was  a beautiful  day ; ever- varying  cloud - 
shapes  hung  about  the  summit  of  Fuji,  some- 
times hiding  and  sometimes  setting  off  its  grace- 
ful outlines.  As  we  circled  round  the  lower  hills 
we  lost  sight  of  it  for  a while,  and  it  would  re- 
appear in  the  least  expected  places. 

When  we  reached  Lake  Yamanaka,  we  had  a 
less  impeded  view  of  the  great  extinct  volcano  ; 
the  clouds  had  dispersed,  and  the  darkening 
summit  stood  out  sharply  against  the  sky.  The 
snow  had  mostly  disappeared,  except  in  the 
crevasses,  and  it  told  as  a pale  violet  on  the  dark 
mass  of  purple  on  which  it  lay. 

For  another  couple  of  hours  we  ascended 
slowly,  through  a wild,  uncultivated  country,  with 
scarcely  a trace  of  human  habitation.  No  cattle 
or  sheep  browsed  on  the  hill- slopes,  though  these 
were  rich  in  vegetation  ; we  saw  a few  birds, 
some  strange  butterflies  and  beetles,  and  now 
and  again  a snake  would  wriggle  across  our 
track. 

The  benches  in  our  rickety  tramcar  seemed  to 
get  harder  as  each  hour  elapsed,  and  nothing 
short  of  a derailment  could  stir  up  the  least 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


131 


excitement  in  our  company  during  the  last  few 
miles  before  we  reached  Yoshida. 

This  village,  just  bordering  on  the  dimensions 
of  a small  country  town,  was  en  fete:  lanterns 
and  banners  hung  from  every  house,  and  strings 
of  small  flags  stretched  across  the  street.  On 
inquiry,  I learnt  that  a large  number  of  pilgrims 
was  expected,  Fuji  now  being  sufficiently  free 
from  snow  to  allow  climbers  to  reach  its 
summit. 

Nature- worship  being  an  important  feature  of 
Shintoism,  it  was  to  be  supposed  that  Fuji, 
Japan’s  greatest  mountain,  would  be  considered 
a holy  place  ; and  where  an  agreeable  mountain 
ascent  is  the  pilgiimage,  there  is  never  a lack  of 
people  to  take  part  in  it. 

Yoshida  is  a favourite  starting-point,  and 
during  the  two  or  three  months  that  Fuji  is  open 
its  numerous  inns  do  a very  good  trade. 

We  decided  not  to  spend  the  night  here,  but 
to  push  on  to  Funatso,  the  next  stage  in  our 
journey.  The  G.P.F.  secured  a man  and  hand- 
cart to  take  our  luggage,  and  a delightful  walk  of 
two  or  three  miles  brought  us  there  shortly  after 
the  sun  had  set. 

We  got  a room  at  a primitive  little  inn  over- 


132  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


looking  Lake  Kawaguchi.  We  were  supplied 
with  sandals  and  kimonos,  and  the  landlady 
offered  to  undress  us  while  her  husband  heated 
up  the  bath.  I explained  that  as  I was  a child 
no  longer,  I could  undress  myself,  but  being 
famished,  we  should  be  glad  of  some  dinner  as 
soon  as  the  bath  was  over.  This  was  received 
with  smiles  and  bows  and  assurances  that  she 
would  do  her  best : “ It  is  a humble  inn 
which  my  honoured  guests  have  condescended  to 
patronize,  and  I fear  that  my  utmost  efforts  must 
of  a necessity  be  unworthy.”  The  G.P.F.  had 
nearly  undressed  during  this  speech,  and  I had 
got  off  as  much  clothing  as  decency  allowed 
when  the  lady  trotted  off  in  search  of  what  food- 
stuffs the  \dllage  could  supply. 

The  novelty  of  being  considered  a tall  man  had 
worn  off*  a little,  but  when  I got  into  a kimono 
made  for  a Japanese  I felt  a giant.  This  garment 
only  reached  a few  inches  below  my  knees.  I 
climbed  down  the  steep  flight  of  stairs  which  led 
into  the  living-room  below,  and  was  the  cause  of 
some  merriment  to  the  second-class  guests  who 
were  assembled  there.  A sandal  I had  not  gripped 
firmly  enough  between  the  large  and  second  toe 
slipped  off  and  clattered  down  the  steps,  while  the 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


133 


other  one,  which  I had  gripped  too  tightly,  slid 
round  and  stuck  out  at  right  angles  to  my  foot. 
As  this  did  not  stop  the  laughter,  I took  off 
sandal  No.  2,  and  had  a shot  at  its  fellow  with 
it,  and  nearly  toppled  down  myself  in  doing  so. 
There  were  no  banisters  to  these  steps,  so  I 
thought  it  safest  to  turn  round  and  descend  as 
one  does  on  a ladder.  I was  received  with 
applause  like  one  who  had  successfully  pulled  off 
a comic  interlude  at  a serious  gathering. 

A lien-house  had  been  converted  into  a bath- 
room ; but  as  there  was  a clean  towel,  a bucket 
of  cold  water,  and  a steaming  hot  bath,  I had 
nothing  to  complain  of. 

Forgetful  of  all  I had  read  about  the  Japanese 
bath,  I put  my  foot  into  the  tub,  but  very  quickly 
pulled  it  out  again,  and  have  felt  sorry  for  the  fate 
of  the  lobster  ever  since.  I called  out  to  the  land- 
lord, who  was  still  stoking  in  a little  shed  attached 
to  the  ex-hen-house,  and  he  lowered  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  bath  to  within  slow  boiling-point,  and 
then  another  bucketful  of  cold  water  made  it  just 
possible  to  get  in.  No  soap  is  allowed  in  tlie  hot 
bath,  as  it  would  soil  the  water  for  the  other 
guests.  The  correct  thing  is  to  have  a pre- 
liminary wash  before  you  get  in,  to  have  a long 


134  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


soak  in  the  heated  water,  then  to  be  scrubbed  by 
the  bath-man,  and  end  with  a cold  douche. 

There  being  no  bath-man  in  this  primitive  inn, 
the  maid-of-all-work  might  have  to  scrub  the 
guests,  had  she  not  been  fortunately  otherwise 
engaged,  and  I was  left  to  complete  my  ablutions 
by  myself, 

Bathing  is  so  universal  in  Japan,  and  the  bath- 
room so  important  a feature  in  a Japanese  inn, 
that  we  may  refer  to  it  again  later  on. 

The  guest-rooms  in  the  Naka-ya  were  built  out 
from  the  original  cottage,  and  supported  on  piles 
which  were  sunk  in  the  bed  of  the  lake  itself. 
The  fine  view  had  evidently  been  an  important 
consideration  to  the  speculative  proprietor  when 
he  ventured  on  this  inn,  which  serves  as  a resting- 
place  for  foreigners  on  their  way  to  Shoji  Hotel. 
The  length  of  Lake  Kawaguchi  had  to  be 
traversed  ; carriers  had  to  be  provided  to  take 
the  luggage  on  to  the  next  lake,  and  when  that 
was  crossed,  four  miles  of  porterage  was  necessary 
before  reaching  Lake  Shoji,  on  which  the  foreign 
hotel  stood. 

The  proprietor  was  able  to  supply  these  wants 
and  also  kago,  a species  of  litter,  for  any  who 
might  not  be  up  to  the  walk.  His  ideas  of 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


135 


European  food  were  limited.  He  had  taught 
someone  to  bake  bread,  and  professed  to  being 
able  to  get  cow’s  milk.  Some  turned  meats  stood 
on  a shelf  in  the  living-room,  but  as  they  might 
have  been  there  for  some  years,  I was  loath  to 
disturb  them.  My  guide  had  told  him  that  I 
liked  Japanese  food,  and  I proved  this  to  his 
satisfaction  when  at  last  the  dinner  was  served. 
A delicious  fish-broth  wdth  mushrooms,  called 
oic(ui,  a little  bowl  of  tamago  yaki,  a compound 
of  egg  and  curded  beans,  and  a dish  of  fresh  trout, 
were  none  of  them  things  to  be  despised  after  a 
long  fast  and  a tiring  day’s  journey,  and  the  plain 
boiled  rice  with  which  every  Japanese  meal  ends 
seems  somehow  or  another  just  the  thing  required. 

The  prejudice  foreigners  have  against  the  native 
food  is  surprising.  Ninety-nine  out  of  a hundred 
would  have  come  here  pro\dded  ^v^th  tins,  and 
eaten  this  messy  and  often  stale  food  in  preference 
to  the  clean  and  wholesome  fare  the  landlord 
could  give  them. 

^^Jlen  the  empty  little  lacquer  bowls  were 
cleared  away  we  were  ready  for  bed.  The  nesan, 
a thick-set  country  wench,  started  vigorously  to 
sweep  the  matting,  we  ha\'ing  to  skip  about  to 
keep  clear  of  her  broom.  She  then  brought  in 


136  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


the  quilts,  spread  them  on  the  floor,  and  placed  a 
sheet  over  them  ; from  the  recesses  of  her  hang- 
ing sleeve  she  fetched  out  a tin  of  insect-powder 
(a  Japanese  imitation  of  Keating’s),  and  peppered 
a brown  line  of  fortification  round  the  edge  of  the 
sheet.  I watched  this  operation  with  mixed  feel- 
ings ; was  surprised  that  in  so  clean  a looking 
room  it  should  have  been  necessary.  I was 
anxious  to  learn  what  species  of  foe  she  was 
protecting  us  against.  “ It  was  to  keep  off  the 
she  said  ; and  1 wasn’t  much  the  wdser.  I 
imitated  a crawling  motion  with  my  fingers,  and 
she  shook  her  head.  I then  gave  some  hops  with 
my  finger  over  the  matting,  and  found  that  I had 
made  a correct  guess. 

The  foe  was  less  alarmmg  than  the  one  1 at 
first  feared,  but  should  the  Japanese  nomi  be  as 
nimble  as  the  European  one,  he  would  not  think 
it  much  of  a hop  to  clear  so  narrow  a fortification. 
1 borrowed  the  nhans  pepper-pot,  dusted  the 
whole  sheet,  and  gave  her  to  understand  that 
they  might  put  another  halfpenny  on  to  the  bill. 
Encouraged  by  sueh  generosity,  she  ran  out  to 
fetch  an  enormous  green  muslin  mosquito-curtain, 
which  she  suspended  from  four  hooks  hi  the  ceil- 
ing. It  had  a band  of  black  tape  at  each  angle. 


IIOMESTKAI)  NEAR  SHOJI 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


137 


and  also  at  the  top  and  bottom,  and  when  fixed 
in  position  it  looked  like  a huge  meat-safe.  She 
then  hitched  up  a corner  to  allow  me  to  creep 
into  the  bed,  and  drew  the  edges  of  the  curtain 
up  to  the  powdery  line  of  fortification. 

Satisfied  that  I was  properly  protected  from 
the  ka  as  well  as  the  nomi,  she  went  down  on  her 
knees,  brought  her  forehead  to  the  matting,  and 
bid  me  “ O yasumi  nasai,”  which,  being  interpreted 
literally,  is,  “ Honourably  resting  deign.”  I gave 
her  the  correct  answer,  “ O yasumi,”  heard  her 
draw  back  the  slides,  and  I tried  to  compose  my- 
self for  a night’s  rest.  The  pillow  was  shaped  like 
a thick  rolling-pin,  and  nearly  as  hard.  It  rolled 
back  over  the  quilt  when  I put  my  head  on  it ; 
placing  it  further  from  the  edge  of  the  bedding,  I 
found  my  feet  sticking  out  at  the  other  end  and 
well  over  the  Keating  border.  The  quilt  was 
fortunately  a wide  one,  and  by  stretching  from 
corner  to  corner  I was  able  to  get  my  feet  covered. 
I also  learnt  how  the  pillow  should  be  treated  to 
keep  it  stationary,  and  that  is  to  get  it  fixed  in 
the  nape  of  the  neck. 

The  old  lady  with  the  catarrh  was  squatting 
in  the  further  corner  of  the  green  meat-safe,  and 
had  changed  roles  with  the  priest  of  the  Zen 


138  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 

sect,  for  she  was  snuffling  out  jokes  while  he  was 
using  a newspaper  as  a pocket-handkerchief. 
The  G.P.F.  was  nursing  the  hungry  babes,  and 
exhausted  motherhood  was  roaring  \\dth  laughter 
at  his  attempts.  The  bucksome  wench  was 
slowly  disappearing  through  the  cover  of  my  suit- 
case, when  a rattle  and  a bang  awoke  me. 

I thought  that  the  meat-safe  had  gone  off  the 
rails : fortunately  it  was  nothing  more  alarming 
than  the  noise  of  the  wooden  shutters,  which  the 
ncsan  and  landlady  were  pushing  along  the 
grooves  outside  the  shoji  (the  paper  slides), 
and  that  banged  together  as  they  met  in  the 
middle. 

I had  purposely  left  the  shoji  wide  open,  so  as 
to  wake  up  at  daybreak,  and  also  to  enjoy  the 
cool  breeze  which  blew  across  the  lake.  But  I 
remembered  now  that  police  regulations  oblige 
everyone  to  lock  up  their  houses  at  night.  I felt 
oppressed  with  a sense  of  stuffiness,  and  would 
have  pulled  down  the  muslin  curtain  had  not  a 
gentle  “ mi-i-i  ” made  me  aware  that  mosquitoes 
were  outside  it.  One  or  tAvo  norni  must  have 
crossed  the  Keating,  and  Avhile  trying  to  drive 
one  off  my  ankle,  the  rolling-pin  slipped  from 
under  my  head.  I began  to  feel  more  lenient  to 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


139 


the  foreigner  who  avoids  the  native  inns  ; perhaps 
he  was  not  such  a silly  idiot  after  all. 

A long  day  spent  in  the  bracing  air  did  more 
, than  counteract  the  nibbling  of  the  nomi  and  the 
' hardness  of  my  pillow,  for  I became  unconscious 
I of  everything  till  the  light  streamed  in  through 
; the  cracks  in  the  shutters. 

Mr.  Tsuda  had  made  all  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments with  the  landlord  for  the  remainder  of 
our  journey,  and  we  were  rowed  across  the  lake 
before  the  sun  had  risen  above  the  surrounding 
liills. 

Kawaguchi  is  the  most  picturesque  of  the  five 
lakes  which  circle  round  the  northern  slopes  of 
Fuji.  Funatso  is  prettily  situated,  at  the  east 
and  lower  end,  on  a slight  promontory  capped 
by  a heavily  thatched  Shinto  temple.  The  low- 
lying  hills  and  partly  fishing,  partly  agricultural 
villages  on  the  southern  edge  often  make  a fine 
foreground  to  the  gi’eat  mountain  which  rises 
I above  them. 

Tlie  cottages  are  all  thatched,  and  the  ridges 
I are  thickly  covered  with  house  - leeks  and  a 
variety  of  stonecrop ; on  some  we  saw  a fine 
display  of  tiger-lilies.  VN’^hether  the  bulbs  of  the 
latter  are  planted  here,  or  whether  the  seed  is 


140  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


dropped  by  birds  or  blown  up  from  the  little 
gardens  below,  I have  never  been  able  to 
ascertain.  A wooden  object,  shaped  like  a 
scythe  and  about  a yard  high,  is  generally  stuck 
at  both  ends  of  the  ridge.  I am  told  this  is  to 
keep  off  evil  spirits. 

We  reached  the  head  of  the  lake  in  a little 
over  an  hour,  when  our  luggage,  and  that  of  a 
German  merchant  fr’om  Yokohama  who  accom- 
panied us,  was  strapped  on  to  the  backs  of  four 
coohes  whom  we  had  taken  with  us.  We 
climbed  over  a little  pass  in  the  hills  and 
descended  to  the  shore  of  Nishinoumi.  Here  a 
fresh  boat  was  engaged,  and  we  were  taken 
across  this  lake  to  a httle  riparian  village  called 
Nemba. 

The  sun  was  now  getting  uncomfortably  hot, 
and  we  were  thankful  that  the  four  or  five  miles 
we  had  to  tramp  to  reach  Lake  Shoji  was  mostly 
through  a thickly-wooded  country. 

It  is  astonishing  how  these  little  coolies  can 
tramp  up  the  hills,  heavily  laden  as  they  often 
are,  and  on  a diet  on  which  an  Englishman 
would  starve. 

When  we  reached  the  last  bit  of  water  which 
we  had  to  cross,  the  men  halloaed  to  the  hotel 


JOURNEY  TO  SHOJI 


141 


on  the  opposite  shore  to  bring  the  boat,  and 
when  they  had  succeeded  in  making  themselves 
heard,  we  were  able  to  dismiss  them. 

An  hour  later  Mrs.  Higuchi  welcomed  us  at 
the  landing-stage  of  the  hotel  which  bears  her 
name. 


CHAPTER  XI 


SHOJI 

SHOJI  is  an  ideal  spot  for  the  foreign 
residents  at  Kobe  or  Yokohama  to  pass 
their  holidays.  The  air  is  bracing,  the  scenery 
is  beautiful ; delightful  excursions  are  to  be 
made  from  here,  and  bathing,  boating,  and 
fishing  of  sorts  is  to  be  had  on  the  lake  which 
the  hotel  overlooks.  It  is  too  ungetatable 
for  a week-end  outing,  though  well  worth  the 
trouble  of  getting  there  for  those  who  can 
afford  the  time  it  takes.  The  inconveniences 
of  the  tramway  journey  can  be  minimized  by  a 
party  hiring  a car  for  themselves,  and  good 
pedestrians  can  make  the  return  journey  by 
walking  to  Kofu  and  taking  the  train  to  Yoko- 
hama, or  by  descending  the  Fujikawa  rapids  and 
joining  the  Tokaido  Railway  at  Iwabuchi. 

If  the  latter  route  be  taken,  the  excursionist 
will  have  gone  round  the  whole  of  the  base  of 
Fujiyama,  amidst  the  most  varied  and  beautiful 

142 


SHOJI 


143 


scenery.  The  river  trip  can  be  spread  over  three 
days  by  sleeping  a night  at  INIinobu — the  INIecca 
of  the  Buddhists  of  the  Nicheren  sect — and 
rejoining  the  boat  at  Hakii  the  next  morning. 
\^isitors  to  Japan  on  pleasure  bent,  and  not  sulfer- 
ing  from  nerves,  should  make  a point  of  taking 
this  trip.  Full  directions  are  given  in  Murray, 
and  also  an  excellent  description  of  Minobu. 

Should  they  fail  to  do  this,  they  may  live  in 
danger  of  meeting  a six  weeks’  excursionist,  who 
will  exclaim : “ Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you 
were  all  that  time  in  Japan  and  never  went  down 
the  Fujikawa  !”  The  writer  liv^es  in  that  danger 
now,  and,  alas  ! has  yet  another  hanging  over  him  : 
for  two  months  he  could  gaze  with  respect  on  the 
crown  of  Fujiyama  when  she  lifted  her  cloudy 
veil,  but  no  attempt  did  he  make  to  reach  that 
crown  and  look  dowm  on  her  loveliness.  Attempts 
to  portray  some  of  her  beauty  and  to  depict 
many  of  the  delightful  subjects  which  lay  in  her 
shadow  required  all  the  time  at  his  disposal. 

Shoji  is  an  ideal  spot,  as  we  said  before,  both 
for  the  idler,  the  overworked  man  needing  a rest, 
or  the  tourist  who  is  satiated  with  the  sights 
which  he  has  been  rushed  round  to  see.  But 
unfortunately  it  did  not  altogether  suit  the 


144  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


requirements  of  my  particular  case.  From  the 
hotel  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  whole  of  Fuji 
is  obtained,  but  a poor  foreground  to  help  the 
composition.  She  looked  much  more  imposing 
from  many  places  we  had  passed  on  the  way 
here,  where  her  outlines  were  partly  hid  and  her 
height  enhanced  by  the  lesser  hills  lying  at  her 
base.  I could  make  studies  of  the  cloud-forms 
which  often  hung  about  her  summit ; but  a good 
picture  of  the  mountain  is  not  to  be  got  here. 

The  village  of  Shoji,  which  Murray  con- 
temptuously dismisses  as  a squalid  hamlet,  has 
distinct  pictorial  possibilities,  and  I spent  most 
of  my  time  in  painting  there;  it  takes  half  an 
hour’s  row  across  the  lake  to  reach  it,  and  I was 
not  always  fortunate  enough  to  find  the  boat 
disengaged. 

The  village  starts  in  a fold  in  the  hills,  and 
spreads  out  as  it  reaches  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  lake.  The  dwellers  at  the  top  are  mainly 
agricultural,  if  such  a term  can  be  apphed  to  the 
poor  folk  who  scratch  little  terraces  out  of  the 
mountain-side  to  grow  a patch  of  maize  or  millet. 
Wood-ehopping  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the 
bulk  of  the  population  ; the  women  bring  the 
wood  down  from  the  heights,  while  the  men  cut 


SHOJI 


145 


it  into  lengths  and  sizes  to  be  turned  into  broom- 
handles  and  many  other  commodities.  Thousands 
of  chop-sticks  are  also  made  here,  and  with  a 
surprising  rapidity.  Down  on  the  strand  live 
the  fisher-folk  and  the  boatmen  who  bring  the 
timber  from  across  the  lake. 

An  unsophisticated  people  dwell  in  this  remote 
village,  and  live  now  much  in  the  same  way  as 
their  forbears  lived  a thousand  and  more  years 
before  them.  A chain  of  mountains  cuts  them 
oft’  from  the  nearest  township,  eighteen  miles 
away,  and  no  squire  or  parson  lives  within  that 
distance  to  use  any  civilizing  influence.  The 
Shinto  priest  is  in  as  humble  a position  as  the 
rest,  and  probably  chops  wood  when  not  attend- 
ing to  the  ceremonies  of  the  communal  cult  at 
the  village  temple. 

Since  the  new  order  of  things,  the  little  ones 
have  to  attend  school,  and  a policeman  has  a look 
round  about  once  a fortnight. 

The  hotel  across  the  lake  had  only  been  built 
a few  years  ago,  and  the  guests  seldom  paid  the 
village  a visit.  I was  stared  at  as  though  I 
were  some  strange  being  dropped  out  of  another 
planet,  and  curiosity  was  highly  awakened  when 
I sat  down  to  paint  their  houses. 

10 


146  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


^Vhel■e  there  is  apparently  so  little  control,  a 
stranger  would  expect  the  people  to  be  living 
in  a state  of  savagery,  instead  of  being  industrious 
and  well-behaved.  Let  him  look  a little  deeper 
into  the  matter,  and  he  will  find  that  there 
is  less  individual  freedom  here  than  in  any 
European  community,  be  it  ever  so  well  policed. 

Eacli  member  of  a household  is  responsible  for 
its  good  behaviour  to  the  head  of  the  family. 
The  sisters  must  obey  the  brothers  ; the  younger 
sons  are  ruled  by  the  elder  ; and  all  are  subject  to 
the  will  of  the  father  or  grandfather,  as  the  case 
may  be.  The  head  of  each  household  is  respon- 
sible to  the  elders  of  the  village,  and  they,  in 
their  turn,  are  subject  to  the  rulers  of  the 
district.  Everyone  is  in  a sense  his  brother’s 
keeper,  for  the  sin  of  the  one  is  visited  on  the 
many. 

Though  cruel  punishments  cannot,  as  formerly, 
be  inflicted  on  the  erring  ones,  social  custom  is 
so  deeply  engrained  that  none  dare  openly  to 
fight  against  it. 

They  are  not  alone  ruled  by  the  living ; they 
must  be  careful  also  not  to  offend  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  ; neglect  of  the  family  cult  may  bring 
disaster  on  that  family,  and  neglect  of  the 


THK  COMMUiVAI.  SHRINI', 


SHOJI 


147 


communal  cult  may  cause  suffering  to  the 
whole  community.  The  Shinto  priest,  who  may 
be  chopping  wood  to  eke  out  his  little  salary,  is 
the  representative  of  a more  powerful  system  of 
government  than  the  framers  of  any  constitution 
could  ever  hope  to  attain.  It  has  ruled  these 
people  for  probably  more  than  three  millen- 
niums, and  has  become  a part  and  parcel  of  their 
natures. 

The  police  may  have  to  enforce  new  regula- 
tions, and  men  may  be  fined  or  imprisoned  for 
the  breach  of  a law  recently  enacted.  The  rule 
of  the  dead  will  remain  a power  for  good  as  long 
' as  Japan  holds  a prominent  position  amongst  the 
nations. 

' A sanitary  regulation  was  being  carried  out 
during  one  of  tl\e  days  that  I worked  there,  and 
I a policeman  had  come  over  from  Motosu  for  the 
ji  purpose.  Four  times  a year  the  mats  have  to  be 
taken  out  of  the  houses  to  be  beaten  and  aired  in 
I the  sun — a bad  lookout  for  the  nomi.  I found  it 

I . 

just  as  well  to  do  my  sketching  on  the  windward 
side  of  these  operations.  In  the  better  class  of 
houses  the  mats  are  taken  off  the  frames  to 
which  tliey  are  fixed  and  turned  after  the  first 
six  months,  and  they  are  discarded  after  a year. 


148  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  paper  is  also  stripped  off  the  shoji^  and 
renewed  every  six  months. 

To  satisfy  the  sensibilities  of  the  foreigners, 
who  go  to  Japan  in  ever-increasing  numbers,  a 
police  regulation  obliges  everyone  to  take  his 
daily  bath  indoors ; and  in  the  towns,  where 
there  are  plenty  of  police  to  enforce  it,  these 
ablutions  on  the  pavement  during  the  hot 
weather  are  not  seen  at  present.  They  were 
not  so  particular  here  in  Shoji,  for  I constantly 
saw  men  and  women  tubbing  themselves  in  the 
little  courts  in  front  of  their  cottages,  and 
sometimes  in  the  street  itself. 

To  heat  up  the  bath  inside  the  small  houses 
would  make  them  unbearably  hot,  so  the  large 
tub  and  heating  furnace  are  placed  outside  till 
the  weather  cools  down.  “ Nudity  in  Japan  is 
seen  but  not  looked  at,”  as  someone  pithily  put  it. 
As  the  Japanese  are  a very  law-abiding  people, 
it  is  probable  that  in  a few  years  this  alfresco 
bathing  will  cease  to  exist,  although  it  is  always 
hard  to  put  laws  into  force  which  are  foreign  to 
the  customs  of  a people. 

1 had  my  first  experience  of  an  earthquake 
while  staying  at  Shoji.  I was  working  in  my 
room  when  it  occurred. 


SHOJl 


149 


I felt  the  hotel  shake  several  times  before 
I was  aware  of  the  cause.  I went  on  with  my 
painting,  wishing  that  ]\lrs.  Higuchi  had  chosen 
some  other  time  for  mo\dng  her  furniture.  A 
more  violent  shake  than  the  first  ones  made  me 
blot  my  drawing,  and  I reflected  that,  if  the 
w'orkmen  did  not  move  the  furniture  more 
carefully,  they  w^ould  bring  the  ceiling  dowm 
on  me.  I looked  up  to  see  if  there  w^ere  any 
dangerous  cracks  in  the  plaster,  when  it  dawmed 
on  me  that  there  was  no  floor  above. 

A low  rumble  followed,  increasing  in  strength, 
till  the  window^s  rattled  to  such  an  extent  that  I 
moved  rapidly  aw^ay  from  the  glass.  1 heard 
hurried  footsteps  in  the  passage,  and  as  my  door 
had  flown  open,  I saw  one  of  the  German  guests 
running  past  to  get  outside.  He  must  have 
seen  me  as  he  flew  past,  for  he  called  out : 
“ Ach  ! do  you  not  veal  die  eardfpiake  ?” 

Now,  don’t  think  that  I was  particularly  brave, 
or  that  my  Gennan  acquaintance  w^as  excep- 
tionally timid.  He  had  lived  some  years  in 
Japan,  and  w^as  instantly  aw'are  of  the  cause 
of  the  shaking,  and  fully  alive  to  the  awful 
possibilities ; whereas,  in  my  case,  it  was  mostly 
over  before  I clearly  realized  what  was  happen- 


150  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


ing.  I remembered  some  of  the  remarks 
Professor  Chamberlain  makes  on  the  subject 
in  “ Things  Japanese  ” — how  the  novdce  always 
wonders  why  people  should  make  such  a fuss 
about  it ; how  he  changes  his  mind  after  a few 
more  experiences  ; and  how  his  terror  of  earth- 
quakes grows  with  length  of  residence  in  this 
earthquake-shaken  land.  I wondered  if,  after 
my  fifth  or  sixth  experience,  I would  be  in  such 
a mortal  funk  as  my  friend  appeared  to  be  in. 

I went  on  with  my  work  and  forgot  all  about 
the  earthquake  till  the  next  day,  when  a news- 
paper arrived  with  a description  of  the  damages 
which  it  had  caused. 

Two  days  later  1 was  spending  the  evening 
in  the  sitting-room  with  the  other  guests,  when 
we  experienced  a shock  far  severer  than  the  last 
ones.  It  came  without  the  slightest  warning, 
and  only  lasted  a few  seconds.  The  noise  it 
made  was  probably  far  greater  than  it  would 
have  made  in  a solidly-constructed  house ; but 
the  danger  was  far  less,  for  wooden  buildings 
wiU  yield  to  vibrations  which  might  easily  bring 
down  brick  or  stone  walls. 

I felt  less  comfortable  after  this,  my  second 
experience.  For  one  thing,  it  made  more  noise 


SHOJI 


151 


in  this  room,  which  had  windows  extending 
round  two  sides  of  it.  During  a minute  or 
two  after  the  shake  everyone  seemed  on  the 
(]id  vive,  and  the  most  interesting  story  would 
not  have  had  a listener. 

A lady  declared  that  she  knew  one  was  coming, 
as  she  felt  sick  just  before  it.  “ Was  it  really 
before,  and  not  at  tlie  time,  or  so  soon  after  that 
she  would  not  notice  the  difference  ?”  These 
were  questions  thought  or  only  hinted  at.  But 
we  were  assured,  with  the  assurance  whieh  only 
the  doubted  word  brings  forth,  that  such  had 
been  her  experience  each  time.  Others  have 
also  told  me  that  a feeling  of  nausea  always 
preceded,  in  their  cases,  an  earthquake  shock. 

The  safest  place  in  a room  is  just  under  the 
doorway,  for  should  part  of  the  roof  or  a chimney- 
stack  come  crashing  through  the  ceiling,  you  get 
some  protection  from  the  lintel  and  the  wall 
above  it.  I should  feel  more  convinced  of  the 
prophetic  sickness  mentioned  above  had  I ever 
seen  or  even  heard  of  anyone  so  warned  making 
for  this  place  of  comparative  safety  before  and 
not  after  the  shock. 

A .fapanese  superstition,  still  existing  amongst 
the  least  educated,  is  that  earthquakes  are  caused 


7 


152  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 

by  a huge  subterranean  fish,  which,  on  waking 
up,  wriggles  about  and  causes  the  vibrations.  A 
book  could  be  written  on  the  superstitions,  the 
anecdotes,  and  the  native  illustrations  bearing  on 
this  subject. 

Since  the  waking  up  of  Japan  to  modern 
science,  seismological  research  has  been  actively 
carried  on.  The  seismometer  is  nearly  as 
familiar  to  an  educated  Japanese  as  the  barometer 
is  to  the  European.  Japan  has  had  the  benefit 
of  Professor  Milne’s  scientific  knowledge,  and 
a volume  of  the  “ Seismological  Transactions  ” 
treats  entirely  on  the  volcanoes  in  the  Japanese 
Empire.  When  we  look  for  the  weather  fore- 
casts in  our  papers,  the  Japanese  look  for  a report 
of  any  earthquake  shocks  recorded  during  the 
last  twenty-four  hours. 

It  is  not  supposed  that  science  will  ever  be 
able  to  prevent  these  disturbances,  but  science 
has  been  able  to  point  out  some  means  of 
minimizing  their  disastrous  results.  It  has  been 
proved  that  the  vibrations  are  much  gi’eater  at 
the  surface  of  the  soil  than  in  the  lower  layers. 
To  illustrate  this,  it  is  only  necessary  to  place 
several  billiard-balls  in  a row  and  touching  each 
otlier  on  a table,  and  by  striking  the  first  ball 


SHOJl 


153 


it  will  be  seen  that  the  farthest  one  w'ill  move 
the  fastest,  the  intermediate  ones  remaining 
comparatively  stationary. 

Little  damage  may  result  to  a building  if  its 
foundations  be  isolated  from  the  soil’s  surface. 
Before  science  had  proved  this  fact,  the  law  of 
the  sur\'ival  of  the  fittest  had  taught  the  .Japanese 
builders  to  adopt  this  plan.  The  framing  of  their 
structures  being  entirely  of  wood,  it  was  advisable 
to  disconnect  the  perpendicular  supports  from  the 
soil  so  as  to  prevent  the  rot.  The  timbers  were, 
therefore,  not  sunk  into  the  ground,  but  rested 
on  stone  plinths,  which  served  as  the  true  founda- 
tions. The  wooden  pillars  of  important  buildings 
have  a bronze  casing  at  the  base,  and  probably  a 
metal  pin  is  dowelled  into  the  stone  beneath. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  wood  was  chosen 
in  preference  to  stone  or  brick  for  building 
material  on  account  of  its  being  less  liable  to 
damage  from  earthquakes.  It  may  be  one  of  the 
reasons ; the  greater  cost  of  brick  or  stone  is 
probably  the  chief  cause.  Nine-tenths  of  .Japan 
is  only  suitable  for  the  growdh  of  timber,  and 
with  this  material  close  at  hand  wooden  structures 
were  the  most  likely  ones  to  be  erected.  Had 
timber  been  scarce,  it  is  possible  that  more  durable 


154  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


buildings  would  have  been  evolved  to  resist,  in  a 
measure,  the  earth’s  vibrations.  Such  buildings 
are  now  being  constructed  in  the  European 
settlements  in  Tokyo  and  in  other  cities. 

The  one-storied  house,  so  universal  elsewhere, 
is  doubtless  due  to  the  fear  of  the  earthquake, 
for  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  in  towns 
where  the  ground  is  valuable  such  low  houses 
would  exist  but  for  this  cause. 

Japan  suffers  from  a scourge  even  greater  than 
earthquakes,  and  that  is  fire.  A serious  visitation 
of  the  former  is  usually  followed  by  the  latter. 
Houses  built  of  wood,  the  partitions  generally 
of  paper,  the  floors  covered  with  straw-matting, 
and  the  rooms  often  only  lighted  with  paper 
lanterns — with  such  an  abundance  of  inflam- 
mable material,  can  one  wonder  that  fires  are 
so  prevalent  ? 

It  is  said  that  good  taste  prevents  the  owner 
of  valuable  works  of  art  from  making  a display 
of  his  treasures  in  his  rooms  ; and  in  truth,  if  you 
call  on  a Japanese  who  is  known  as  an  art- 
collector,  you  will  be  disappointed  at  the  small 
number  of  beautiful  things  seen  in  his  sitting- 
rooms.  A kakemono  of  some  painter  of  the  Kano 
school  and  a beautiful  vase  or  statuette  may  be 


SHOJI 


155 


seen  in  the  takernona,  but  beyond  that  all  is 
simplicity  itself.  Should  he  know  that  you  are 
interested  in  Japanese  art,  he  will  send  a servant 
to  fetch  some  more  things  from  the  godown.  I 
may  mention  here  that  a godown  is  a fireproof 
room  attached  to  most  buildings  where  there  is 
anything  especially  valuable  to  protect. 

The  two  objects  in  liis  room  which  are  there 
solely  for  decorative  purposes  have  their  beauty 
and  importance  very  much  enhanced  in  such  a 
simple  and  also  tasteful  setting.  The  ornamenta- 
tion of  the  sliding-screens  and  other  necessary 
objects  is  in  good  taste,  though  not  costly. 

The  effect  is  pleasing,  but  the  cause  of  this 
scarcity  of  precious  things  is  not  far  to  seek. 
The  owner  knows  full  well  the  risks  from  fire 
which  he  would  run  should  he  leave  his  valuables 
in  such  inflammable  surroundings.  Good  taste 
is  here  the  handmaiden  of  expediency. 

^^’'ere  a man  sufficiently  wealtliy  not  to  mind 
ri.sking  the  loss  of  his  works  of  art,  he  would  be 
justly  deemed  a vulgarian. 

In  spite  of  precautions,  it  is  sad  to  think  of 
the  havoc  fire  has  caused  to  countless  art 
treasures. 

During  the  last  two  days  I spent  in  Kyoto,  a 


T 


156  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 

fire  raged  at  Osaka,  which  is  the  second  largest 
city  in  Japan.  It  is  estimated  that  more  than  a 
quarter  of  the  buildings  were  destroyed  before 
the  fire  could  be  mastered. 

I was  astonished  at  the  little  excitement  that 
so  great  a calamity  caused  in  Kyoto,  which  is 
only  about  thirty  miles  distant  from  Osaka. 
The  Japanese  are  not  fatalists,  like  the  Moham- 
medans, who  are  past-masters  in  bearing  the 
trials  of  others  ; but  this  seeming  indifference 
must  be  due  to  the  frequent  occurrence  of  this 
dreadful  scourge. 

Many  a prayer  falls  on  the  deaf  ears  of  Fudo’s 
image,  to  ask  his  protection  from  the  fires  he 
controls.  May  they  be  heard  where  the  prayer 
of  the  faithful  is  acceptable,  though  offered  up  to 
wood  and  stone  ! 


FUJIYAMA 


CHAPTER  XII 


JOURNEY  TO  KOFU 

I WAS  fortunate  enough  to  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  a German  officer  and  his  wife, 
who  had  come  to  the  hotel  by  the  Kofu  route. 
They  told  me  of  a wonderful  display  of  lotuses 
they  had  seen  in  the  moat  round  the  ruined  Kofu 
Castle. 

This  was  not  to  be  lost,  and,  finding  that 
Mr.  Tsuda  was  equal  to  a long  day’s  tramp,  I 
decided  to  leave  the  next  day  and  return  to 
Shoji  when  I had  got  what  I wanted. 

^^'^e  secured  an  agile  young  man  to  carry  our 
traps,  and  started  at  six  in  the  morning,  hoping 
to  get  over  the  pass  in  the  mountain  range  we 
had  to  cross  before  the  full  heat  of  the  day. 

A tramp  in  bracing  air  and  amidst  beautiful 
scenery  is  a delightful  thing  in  itself,  but  add  to 
this  a distinct  object,  and  let  it  be  in  a country 
where  a surprise  may  be  awaiting  you  round 

157 


158  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


every  turning  of  the  road : your  day’s  tramp 
thus  becomes  such  an  asset  in  the  joys  of 
existence  as  to  wipe  out  a host  of  vexations  and 
discomforts  which  may  have  accumulated  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  account. 

Such  a one  it  was  which  took  us  from  Shoji  to 
the  lotus-flowers  at  Kofu. 

We  crossed  the  water,  ascended  the  \-illage, 
and  took  a path  leading  through  the  pine-woods 
to  the  top  of  the  ridge  of  hills  which  semicircle 
round  the  lake.  Looking  back,  we  got  a fine 
\dew  of  f’uji’s  cone  rising  from  a magnificent 
vTeath  of  clouds  which  hung  round  its  base. 
The  reflections  in  the  lake  were  unruffled  as  they 
seldom  are  at  a later  hour  in  the  day ; the  \’illage 
lay  at  our  feet,  its  mouse-coloured  thatch 
etherealized  by  the  transparent  columns  of  smoke 
which  rose  straight  up  till  a higher  current  of  air 
cut  them  off. 

AVe  had  one  last  look  at  Fuji,  and  descended 
into  the  next  valley.  Our  path  led  alongside  a 
stream  which  splashed  and  eddied  aroimd  the 
stones  and  fallen  timber  in  its  course.  AA’^ild 
hydrangeas  grew  in  profusion,  and  often  lined 
each  side  of  the  pathway ; gentian,  monk’s-hood, 
and  Lilium  auratum  throve  in  the  moistened  air 


JOURNEY  TO  KOFU 


159 


and  shelter  of  the  heavier  timbered  trees  we  then 
were  under. 

The  stream  increased  considerably  in  volume 
as  we  got  farther  down  its  course,  and  when  we 
emerofed  out  of  the  wood  we  looked  down  on  a 
series  of  water-mills  with  curious  little  overshot 
wheels,  fed  through  conduits  made  of  thick 
bamboo  stems.  A few  cottages  were  scattered 
about  near  the  mills,  and,  where  the  lie  of  the 
land  allowed  of  it,  there  were  rice-fields. 

The  valley  was  long  and  narrow,  and  shut  in 
with  high  hills  on  each  side.  The  sun  was  high 
enough  now  to  beat  down  on  it,  and  we  were 
thankful  to  find  a little  tea-house  to  rest  in 
before  ascending  to  the  pass  over  the  mountains. 

The  landlady,  after  she  had  got  over  the 
surprise  of  seeing  such  unusual  visitors,  placed 
the  baby  she  was  nursing  under  a small  green 
mosquito-curtain — more  like  a meat-safe  than 
the  one  I slept  under  at  Funatsu.  She  next 
attended  to  the  fire,  which  is  usually  in  an  iron 
well  sunk  in  the  matted  floor  ; she  blew  up  the 
charcoal  embers  through  an  iron  pipe,  and  hung 
the  kettle  on  a hook  suspended  over  the  fire 
from  the  ceiling.  She  placed  two  cushions  on 
the  edge  of  the  raised  floor  for  us  to  sit  on, 


160  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


allowing  our  feet  to  rest  on  the  pavement  out- 
side. A cricket  was  chirping  in  a cage  little 
larger  than  a sardine-tin  hung  over  the  entrance, 
just  above  our  heads. 

A young  woman  was  attending  to  the  washing 
in  the  garden.  I watched  her  fish  a kimono  out 
of  a tub  and  spread  it  out  on  some  flat  boards ; 
then  she  flattened  out  all  the  pleats  with  her 
hands,  and  left  the  sun  to  do  the  rest. 

Little  lacquer  bowls  of  biscuits  and  sweetmeats 
were  placed  before  us,  and  when  the  water  was 
boiled  we  were  served  with  little  cups  of  green 
tea.  This  is  always  taken  without  milk  or  sugar, 
and  is  not  allowed  to  draw  more  than  a few 
seconds.  You  do  not  ask  the  price  of  these 
refreshments  on  leaving,  but  you  place  on  the 
tray  a small  sum  which  the  okosan  acknowledges 
with  a deep  reverence  and  an  apology  for  the 
lowly  fare  she  has  served  you.  She  does  not 
even  look  at  the  remuneration  till  you  are  off 
the  premises. 

We  left  the  valley  shortly  after  our  rest,  and 
took  a ^vinding  path  in  a fold  in  the  hills  to  our 
right.  Ubaguchitoge  did  not  appear  much  of 
a climb  after  all ; so  thought  the  G.P.F.  and  I, 
but  a slight  smile  on  the  face  of  our  carrier 


JOURNEY  TO  KOFU 


161 


made  me  feel  less  confident.  We  were  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  hill,  both  for  shade  and  the  breeze, 
and  some  nice  fat  clouds  had  an  aggravating 
way  of  just  missing  the  sun  as  they  lazily  floated 
across  the  blue.  We  got  to  the  top  of  the  first 
summit,  only  to  find  that  another  and  a rather 
liigher  one  stared  us  in  the  face.  The  young 
mountaineer  who  acted  as  carrier  and  guide 
tried  to  console  us  by  saying  that  if  we  stepped 
out  we  could  get  to  the  top  in  an  hour. 

The  hour  dragged  on  to  one  and  a half ; it 
seemed  an  eternity  under  the  scorching  sun,  and 
above  a bad  blister  on  my  heel.  The  half- 
hour’s  halt  at  the  top  of  the  pass,  when  we  finally 
reached  it,  made  ample  amends  for  our  toil.  We 
found  a shady  place  under  a rock,  an  icy  cold 
spring,  and  we  overlooked  the  grandest  panorama 
which  I have  seen  in  Japan.  A fertile  plain, 
criss-crossed  by  the  streams  which  feed  the 
Fujikawa,  stretched  away  to  the  right  and  left 
of  us.  Kofu  lay  on  the  opposite  side,  and  range 
upon  range  of  mountains,  partly  liid  by  huge 
cumulus  clouds  or  intensified  in  colour  by  the 
shadows  they  cast,  formed  a magnificent  back- 
gi’ound.  Kofu  is  the  centre  of  the  silk  trade, 
and  the  numerous  villages  dotted  about  the 
11 


162  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


extensive  patches  of  mulberry-bushes  bore  witness 
to  the  importance  of  the  industry. 

Our  descent  into  the  plain  was  a steep  and  a 
long  one.  It  lies  from  two  to  three  thousand  feet 
lower  than  the  valley  we  had  left  behind  us. 
We  were  now  on  the  shadier  side  of  the  range, 
and  got  the  benefit  of  the  breeze  that  blew  from 
the  north.  We  halted  at  Ubaguchi,  the  first 
village  we  reached  on  entering  the  plain ; there 
was  no  inn,  but  we  were  told  that  we  could  get 
some  rice  at  a little  general  store. 

We  had  exhausted  the  packet  of  sandwiches, 
and  were  quite  ready  for  the  dried  fish  and  boiled 
rice  the  store-keeper  was  able  to  prepare  for  us. 
He  also — blessed  man  ! — fished  some  bottles  of 
Kirin  beer  out  of  a well,  and  handed  us  two 
glasses.  I pointed  out  to  him  that  there  were 
three  of  us,  and  he  explained  that  he  possessed  a 
third  glass,  but  that  it  was  so  precious  to  him 
that  he  never  produced  it  unless  obliged  to  do  so. 
He  fetched  it,  however,  and  I asked  the  G.P.F. 
to  try  and  find  out  why  this  particular  glass 
should  be  so  much  prized,  for  it  was  but  a 
common  little  tumbler. 

After  clearing  a space  on  the  matting  of  the 
clogs,  straw  sandals,  and  what  not  else  that 


JOURNEY  TO  KOFU 


163 


littered  it,  he  squatted  down,  fanned  the  flies  off* 
our  dried  fish,  and  told  us  the  following  story : 

“ While  serving  in  Manchuria  during  the  late 
war  I had  brought  a wounded  Russian  into  our 
camp,  and  I was  told  off  to  look  after  him.  I 
became  very  fond  of  my  prisoner,  who  was  a 
peasant,  like  myself,  and  I did  what  I could  to 
relieve  him  in  his  sufferings.  The  poor  fellow 
was  too  badly  hurt  to  recover,  but  before  he 
died  he  asked  me  to  search  in  his  greatcoat  for 
a vodka-glass  he  had,  and,  when  I found  it,  he 
said  : ‘ Take  this.  It  is  a poor  offering  to  make  in 
return  for  what  you  have  done,  but  it  is  the  only 
thing  in  this  world  that  I possess.’  You  can’t 
wonder,  then,  gentlemen,  that  I value  this  little 
tumbler.” 

A little  girl  now  came  in  to  buy  a farthing’s- 
worth  of  oil.  With  many  apologies,  the  shopman 
asked  if  I would  condescend  to  move,  and  he 
lifted  a little  trap-door  in  the  floor  where  I had 
been  squatting,  let  down  a miniature  bucket  on 
a string  and  brought  it  up  full  of  oil,  that  was  in 
an  open  vat  below.  He  gave  the  child  her 
measure  and  took  the  farthing  (one  sen).  The 
little  girl  evidently  knew  her  man,  for  she  looked 
sideways  into  her  jug,  then  at  the  bucket,  and 


164  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


smiled  in  such  an  enticing  manner  that  our  shop- 
man could  not  resist  pouring  in  another  measure. 

He  was  a jolly-looking  fellow,  not  handsome 
from  our  European  point  of  \dew,  but  his  figure, 
only  hid  by  a loin-cloth,  was  one  an  athlete 
might  be  proud  of. 

I left  his  little  store  feeling  better  pleased  with 
human  nature  generally.  I even  thought  I felt 
my  blister  less,  but  possibly  the  Kirin  beer  may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  it. 

Ubaguchi  is  a long,  straggling  village ; in 
nearly  every  house  we  saw  women  weaving  silk 
or  winding  it  from  cocoons,  which  bobbed  about 
in  tubs  of  water.  We  tramped  on  for  another 
four  or  five  miles,  passing  through  one  or  two 
hamlets,  and  everythmg  we  saw  was  in  some  way 
or  another  connected  with  the  production  of 
silk. 

It  began  to  ram  as  we  reached  a village  along- 
side the  river  we  had  to  cross,  and  we  took  shelter 
in  another  general  store,  which  was  hostel,  tea- 
house, and  cake-factory  at  the  same  time.  We 
were  just  in  time,  for  we  had  hardly  sat  down  to 
our  little  cups  of  tea  when  the  rain  came  down 
in  torrents.  People  came  running  in  with 
dripping  straw  rain-coats  or  with  large  oiled- 


RAINV  DAY  A I'  MOTO.SU 


JOURNEY  TO  KOFU 


165 


paper  capes.  Those  who  had  not  the  wide- 
brimmed  circular  hats  carried  paper  umbrellas. 
AVe  were  soon  sitting  in  a hot,  steamy  mass  of 
humanity,  who  seemed  to  treat  the  storm  as  a 
huge  joke. 

Our  carrier  and  guide  was  able  to  hire  a 
covered  cart  to  take  us  on  to  Kofu ; it  was  to 
meet  us  on  the  farther  side  of  the  river,  as  the 
wooden  bridge  was  not  considered  safe,  except 
for  foot-passengers. 

^Ye  were  lent  paper  umbrellas  which  we  could 
leave  on  the  roadside  before  getting  into  the 
cart.  An  extra  wrap  of  oiled  paper  was  tied 
round  our  traps,  and  we  crossed  the  rickety  and 
slippery  bridge.  We  were  soon  jolted  along  the 
two  or  three  miles  of  road  which  separated  us 
from  Kofu. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


KOFU 


HE  Sadoko  is  a busy  commercial  hotel  in 


the  centre  of  the  long  main  street  of  Kofu. 
The  telephone,  the  tape  with  latest  quotations, 
and  latest  editions  of  evening  papers,  were  all 
there,  and  yet,  in  outward  appearance,  the  place 
was  as  unlike  anything  European  as  it  is  possible 
to  conceive. 

Before  we  took  off  our  boots,  the  manager 
slid  along  the  raised  and  matted  floor,  and,  with 
two  or  three  jerky  bows,  informed  us  that  there 
were  two  rooms  still  vacant  on  the  top  floor. 

A maid  placed  two  cushions  on  the  edge  of 
the  platform  for  us  to  sit  on,  while  a manservant 
in  the  lobby  undid  our  boots  and  placed  them  in 
pigeon-holes  made  for  the  purpose.  A maid 
brought  sandals  for  us  to  put  our  honourable 
feet  hi,  but  was  mildly  reproved  by  the  manager 
for  not  bringing  slippers,  as  neither  of  the  honour- 
able guests  wore  lain  (digitated  socks),  for  with- 


166 


KOFU 


167 


out  the  latter  it  is  impossible  to  get  a grip  on  the 
sandals.  With  humble  apologies,  she  brought 
slippers,  and,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  she  led  me 
up  two  steep  flights  of  stairs  to  my  room.  This 
was  the  first  purely  .Japanese  house  I had  seen, 
which  had  two  stories  above  the  ground  floor, 
and  as  the  stairs  are  steep  and  have  no  banisters, 
the  ascent  has  to  be  made  with  caution.  Having 
reached  the  top,  the  ndsan,  as  the  waitresses  are 
called,  closed  up  some  sliding-screens,  and  two 
rooms  were  ready  to  receive  us.  Mine  was  at 
the  corner  of  a wing  of  the  building  commanding 
a view  up  and  down  the  street.  The  passage 
formed  a kind  of  balcony  round  two  of  its  sides. 

Slippers  have  to  be  left  in  the  passage,  as  even 
they  might  soil  the  matting  on  the  floor. 
Kimonos  were  then  presented  to  both  of  us,  the 
Jidmii  remarking  that  she  had  found  an  extra 
long  one  for  me. 

It  was  as  hot  here  in  Kofu  as  it  had  been  at 
Kyoto,  so  I was  glad  to  get  out  of  my  clothes 
and  wear  the  cool  cotton  dress.  While  I stood 
there,  not  quite  knowing  what  to  do,  the  nesan 
tried  to  reach  my  collar,  but  told  Mr.  Tsuda  that, 
as  she  had  not  a ladder,  she  could  not  reach  to 
unbutton  it.  When  she  was  assured  that  1 


168  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


usually  undressed  myself,  she  bowed  lowly  and 
took  her  departure,  promising  to  return  as  soon 
as  1 was  ready,  so  that  she  could  conduct  me  to 
the  bath. 

She  seemed  very  much  amused,  when  she 
returned,  at  the  way  I had  put  on  the  kimono. 
The  left  side  was  crossed  over  the  right,  as  a coat 
in  England  would  be,  and,  whether  she  felt 
ashamed  to  be  seen  with  such  a queer-looking 
lodger,  or  whether  it  ran  counter  to  her  super- 
stitions, I don’t  know.  But  she  soon  had  my 
obi  off,  recrossed  the  kimono  as  it  should  be,  and 
tied  me  up  again , then,  taking  my  towel  and 
soap-box,  she  led  me  by  the  skirt  of  my  garment 
down  the  steep  stairs  and  into  the  bathroom, 
quite  regardless  of  the  two  or  three  men  that 
were  drying  themselves  in  a state  of  nature.  I 
gave  her  to  understand  that  I could  now  get  on 
without  her  assistance,  and  she  went  away. 

Now,  glass  is  a rarity  in  a Japanese  house ; it 
was  therefore  passing  strange  that  the  door  of 
the  bathroom  should  have  been  chiefly  of  that 
material,  especially  as  it  faced  the  open  kitchen, 
where  nearly  all  the  maids  congregate.  I had 
read  and  heard  about  the  mdignation  there  was 
in  Tokyo  when  a Paris-trained  Japanese  artist 


KOFU 


169 


exhibited  at  the  annual  picture-show  a painting 
of  the  nude,  which  would  have  been  thought 
modest  enough  in  our  Royal  Academy  ; I had 
also  heard  how  shocked  Japanese  ladies  were 
when  they  went  to  a foreign  reception  and  saw 
European  ladies  in  low  dresses,  and  in  no  theatre 
or  professional  dancing  entertainment  is  the  least 
immodesty  in  dress  allowed.  Remembering  all 
these  things,  you  may  imagine  my  surprise  when 
what  I shall  now  relate  occurred. 

The  men  who  were  drying  themselves  soon 
left,  and  only  one  remained  in  the  hot  bath.  I 
went  through  the  preliminary  wash  before  getting 
in  the  hot  water,  which  gave  the  man  time  to 
get  out ; I crept  slowly  into  his  vacant  place,  for 
I had  not  got  accustomed  to  the  intense  heat  of 
the  water,  such  as  the  Japanese  like.  While 
I was  having  this  soak,  and  while  the  other  man 
was  being  shampooed  by  the  bathman,  three 
young  ladies  w'alked  in,  one  of  them  carrying  a 
baby.  They  chatted  for  a while  with  the  man 
undergoing  the  scrubbing,  and  then  dropped  off 
their  kimonos  and  other  garments  and  were  all 
three  in  a state  of  nature. 

They  each  took  a little  wooden  pail,  and,  with 
a word  of  apology,  filled  it  with  the  hot  water 


170  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


in  which  I was  sitting ; then,  seating  themselves 
on  low  wooden  stools,  they  set  to  work  to  soap 
and  scrub  themselves  as  a preliminary  to  getting 
into  the  bath  itself. 

Now,  this  was  all  very  well  and  pretty,  but 
what  was  to  happen  next  ? 1 must  either  get 

out  of  the  bath  and  make  a bolt  across  the  room 
before  1 could  find  shelter  behind  my  towel, 
or  else  I should  have  the  three  young  women 
and  the  baby  in  the  bath  with  me.  There 
was  certainly  not  room  for  four  people  and  a 
fraction. 

The  young  mother,  having  cleared  herself  and 
child  of  soapsuds,  now  carried  her  offspring  to 
the  hot  bath  and  danced  it  in  the  water.  1 was 
persuaded  that  she  wanted  to  get  in,  but  did  not 
like  doing  so  till  I got  out ; there  was  nothing, 
therefore,  left  for  me  but  to  make  a dash  for  my 
towel  at  the  farther  end  of  the  room. 

I tried  to  show  as  little  concern  as  Adam 
before  the  Fall  might  have  shown,  and  I climbed 
out  of  the  bath.  Hurrying  my  movements,  after 
stepping  down  to  the  floor,  I unfortunately  trod 
on  a piece  of  soap,  and  down  I came.  \Vhether 
there  was  anything  in  common  between  my 
physical  fall  and  the  moral  one  of  our  remote 


KOFU 


171 


ancestor,  I cannot  say,  but  I am  sure  that  Adam 
did  not  huiTy  after  fig-leaves  any  faster  than  I 
did  after  my  towel. 

I had  evidently  kept  the  three  ladies  long 
enough  out  in  the  cold,  for  they  were  all  in  the 
hot  water  I had  vacated  before  I had  reached 
the  end  of  the  room.  Three  heads  with  those 
wondrous  erections  in  hair  only  seen  in  Japan 
now  appeared  to  float  on  the  surface  of  the 
steamy  water.  The  baby  was  seated  on  the  floor, 
placidly  playing  with  its  toes,  while  mamma  and 
its  two  aunts  were  enjoying  themselves  in  the 
batli. 

It  struck  me  that  mamma  and  her  sisters  were 
almost  in  pain  from  suppressed  laughter,  and 
that  it  might  have  had  some  connection  with 
Adam’s  fall.  I lingered  for  a moment  outside 
the  door  of  the  bathroom,  and  the  peals  of 
laughter  I heard  confirmed  me  in  my  supposi- 
tion. 

Ladies  in  England  or  America  who  may  read 
this  will  probably  dismiss  these  three  bathers  as 
bold-faced  hussies,  and  it  may  be  difficult  to 
convince  them  that  their  hastily-formed  judgment 
is  a wrong  one.  Far  from  being  bold-faced,  the 
Japanese  lady  is  extremely  retiring  and  very 


172  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


modest  in  her  behaviour  towards  those  of  the 
other  sex.  She  would  feel  outraged  were  it  pro- 
posed that  she  should  go  to  a public  entertain- 
ment in  the  scant  garments  which  a Western 
lady  will  assume  ; neither  would  she  remain  in  a 
theatre  where  the  short  skirts  and  pink  tights  of 
the  European  ballet  were  tolerated.  She  would 
argue  that  such  costumes  are  immodest  because 
they  are  worn  to  attract  attention,  whereas  the 
bath  is  a necessity,  and  indecency  only  begins 
when  the  intention  to  be  indecent  is  there. 

A placid  understanding  exists  in  Japan  that 
when  people  unclothe  entirely  for  the  ablutions, 
or  even  do  so  in  part  on  account  of  the  heat, 
they  be  considered  invisible,  and  during  all  the 
time  that  I frequented  .Japanese  inns  I cannot 
recall  one  instance  where  a word  or  look  showed 
that  this  understanding  did  not  hold  good. 

In  more  important  hotels  in  the  larger  centres 
there  are  now  two  separate  bathrooms,  partly 
due  to  pressure  from  the  foreigners,  who  view 
the  matter  from  a totally  different  standpoint, 
and  partly  for  the  convenience  of  the  lady-guests 
themselves.  The  latter,  where  there  is  but  one 
room,  generally  take  their  bath  when  the  men 
have  finished  theirs,  unless  there  is  some  urgent 


KOFU 


173 


reason  for  them  to  take  it  earlier.  This  is  because 
they  are  accustomed  to  take  a second  place  in 
most  things. 

The  extreme  heat  of  the  bath  has  a most 
exhilarating  effect.  It  is  often  considered  relax- 
ing in  England,  but  that  is  because  it  is  seldom 
taken  hot  enough.  Englishmen,  who  cling  to 
their  prejudices  perhaps  longer  than  any  other 
people,  usually  adopt  this  form  of  bath  after 
having  dwelt  some  time  in  Japan. 

Dinner  is  served  to  each  guest  in  his  own  room. 
As  1 did  not  care  to  dine  alone  in  the  square 
bandbox  which  was  allotted  to  me,  I asked  the 
G.P.F.  to  dine  with  me.  My  powers  of  con- 
versation were  also  much  too  limited  to  be  able 
to  answer  the  questions  which  the  nesan  would 
be  sure  to  ask  me,  and  to  have  her  silently  watch- 
ing me  working  my  chopsticks  would  be  liable 
to  get  on  my  nerves.  When  Mr.  Tsuda  joined 
me,  the  nesan  attending  to  his  room  followed,  so 
that,  with  three  people  speaking  the  language  and 
a fourth  who  could  join  in  with  an  interpreter, 
the  meal  was  much  more  lively. 

After  we  had  finished  the  curded-bean  soup, 
fish  - broth,  lotus  - roots,  bamboo  - shoots,  and 
octopus,  and  laid  them  to  rest  under  a heavy 


174  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


covering  of  boiled  rice,  we  had  to  settle  the 
question  of  the  chadai. 

As  our  stay  in  Kofu  depended  on  what  I 
might  find  to  paint,  it  was  difficult  to  decide 
what  amount  this  chadai  should  be.  Chadai  is 
the  present  the  guest  makes  to  the  landlord  when 
he  has  settled  down  in  the  hotel  of  the  latter. 
The  scale  of  charges  is  little  more  than  covers 
the  expenses,  and  should  a guest  not  make  this 
money  present,  his  host  would  be  keeping  liim 
at  very  little  profit  to  himself.  There  is  no  bar 
and  standing  drinks,  also  no  billiard-room,  sources 
from  which  the  British  landlord  hopes  to  derive  a 
considerable  profit,  and  as  tea  is  served  at  all 
hours,  the  chadai,  or  tea-money,  is  expected, 
though  never  asked  for. 

Having  decided  on  the  proper  amount,  con- 
sistent with  economy  and  a dislike  to  being 
thought  mean,  I gave  it  to  the  nemn  to  take 
to  the  landlord.  The  dinner-things  were  cleared 
away,  the  G.P.F.  went  to  his  room,  and  I laid 
down  on  the  soft  matting  to  read  what  Murray 
had  to  say  about  Kofu,  soon  forgetting  all  about 
the  chadai. 

Presently  a lady,  whom  I had  not  seen  before, 
appeared  at  the  entrance  of  my  room.  She 


MOTOI1AK.ONK 


kofu 


175 


dropped  her  sandals  in  the  passage,  got  down  on 
her  knees,  and  after  several  deep  obeisances,  slid 
along  the  floor,  and  placed  a neatly-done-up 
parcel  before  me,  A sheet  of  paper  with  Chinese 
characters  ^vritten  on  it,  which  she  also  presented, 
did  not  enlighten  me  as  to  the  object  of  her  visit. 
“ ^Vakarimasen,*  wakarimasen,”  was  all  the 
.Japanese  I could  think  of  to  say,  and  I ran  to 
the  G.P.F.’s  room  to  get  his  assistance. 

The  sheet  of  paper  with  the  picturesque  ideo- 
graphs was  merely  a receipt  for  the  chadai,  and 
the  neatly-done-up  parcel  contained  a couple  of 
towels  and  two  fans,  which  were,  as  she  explained, 
the  humble  offerings  she  hoped  her  honourable 
guests  would  condescend  to  accept  as  a slight 
return  for  the  munificent  chadai.  I asked  my 
interpreter  to  give  a suitable  answer  to  this 
speech,  and  the  landlady  crawled  backwards  on 
her  knees  till  she  reached  the  passage ; then  one 
more  duck  which  brought  her  forehead  to  the 
matting,  and  she  disappeared. 

Bed  was  now  clearly  indicated.  The  G.P.F. 
clapped  his  hands  and  called  out  “ Toko”  to  the 
nesan  when  she  arrived ; she  in  her  turn  called 
out  “ 'Foko  ” to  a young  man  corresponding  to  the 


* “ I don’t  understand.” 


176  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


boots  at  an  inn  at  home.  A quaint-looking  ‘ ‘ boots  ” 
he  was.  He  had  nothing  on  him  but  a scant  loin- 
cloth, and  when  he  appeared  Avith  the  bedding 
rolled  up  in  a huge  bundle  on  his  head,  he  re- 
minded me  of  a statuette  of  Atlas  carrying  the 
world.  He  shot  his  load  on  to  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  unrolled  it,  and  in  a few  seconds  the  bed 
was  made.  Having  fixed  up  a huge  green 
mosquito  curtain,  toko  was  ready  for  the  honour- 
able guest  to  condescend  to  sleep  in.  The  young 
Atlas  made  a jerky  bow  (it  was  only  the  women 
who  prostrated  themselves,  I noticed),  then,  with 
that  quick  indrawing  of  the  breath — a polite  way 
of  showing  your  concern  for  the  welfare  of  the 
one  you  address — he  bid  me  “ Oyasumi  nasai.” 
Before  I turned  out  the  light  a man  appeared  at 
the  entrance  and  repeated  some  formula.  Ha^dng 
noticed  from  his  movements  that  he  was  blind, 
and  not  knowing  what  to  answer  him,  I stood 
quite  still.  He  held  his  head  forward  as  if  listen- 
ing, and  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the  room 
was  empty,  he  moved  away.  I heard  him  repeat 
the  same  words  at  the  next  room,  where  he  got 
an  answer.  He  then  crossed  over  to  the  vdng  of 
the  hotel  facing  the  one  I was  lodged  in,  repeat- 
ing this  dreary  monologue  at  each  entrance  he 


KOFU 


177 


passed.  On  reaching  the  room  exactly  opposite  to 
mine,  I saw  him  talking  to  a young  couple  who 
occupied  it. 

The  mystery  now  increased.  The  woman  sat 
on  her  heels  and  the  blind  man  squatted  behind 
her.  He  passed  his  hands  over  her  forehead  and 
drew  them  back  towards  himself,  repeating  this 
motion  a number  of  times ; he  then  wiped  his 
fingers  down  each  side  of  her  nose,  smeared  them 
over  her  eyelids,  played  imaginary  tunes  on  her 
cheeks,  thumbed  her  lips,  and  polished  up  her 
chin.  The  husband  did  not  seem  to  mind,  for 
he  sat  unconcernedly  reading  a newspaper  and 
smoking  his  little  pipe.  I turned  out  the  light, 
crept  under  my  green  curtain,  fixed  the  bolster  in 
the  nape  of  my  neck,  and  tried  to  go  to  sleep. 

My  room  now  being  in  darkness  made  the  one 
opposite  appear  lighter  than  ever,  and  from  the 
way  my  bed  was  placed  the  light  was  right  in 
my  eyes.  The  performance  going  on  across  the 
narrow  yard  looked  now  like  an  animated  picture 
with  the  proper  stage  lighting.  Perhaps  this  was 
an  instance  when  Japanese  women  “ are  seen  but 
not  looked  at.”  I tried  not  to  look,  and  tried  to 
sleep,  but  while  this  light  shone  in  my  eyes  sleep 
was  impossible. 

12 


178  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


A rattling  noise,  and  a shutter  slid  half-way 
across  the  open  end  of  my  room,  showed  that  we 
were  to  be  boxed  in  for  the  night.  The  young 
Atlas  nipped  round  the  passage,  drew  some  more 
shutters  out  of  a box  fixed  to  the  end  of  the 
veranda,  and  completely  shut  out  the  animated 
picture  just  as  the  blind  man  was  performing  on 
the  lady’s  two  ears.  It  dawned  on  me  before  1 
fell  asleep  that  this  mysterious  proceeding  was 
nothing  more  than  the  blind  shampooer’s  daily 
occupation. 

Curious  street-cries  and  the  light  coming  in 
through  the  cracks  in  the  shutters  awoke  me 
early  the  next  morning.  The  boots  appeared 
soon  after,  and  with  a rattle  and  a bang  sent 
shutters  sliding  along  the  grooves  and  into  the 
boxes  where  they  remained  during  the  day. 

I found  my  way  to  Tsuda’s  room,  so  as  to  find 
out  where  I could  attend  to  my  toilet.  There 
was  nothing  in  my  room  (when  once  the  bedding 
was  cleared)  except  a little  table  eight  inches 
high,  and  a vase  of  flowers  in  the  recess.  The 
G.P.F.  clapped  his  hands  for  the  nesan,  and 
asked  her  to  take  me  to  the  lavatory.  She 
trotted  back  to  my  room,  collected  the  various 
articles  I wanted,  and,  catching  hold  of  the  hem  of 


KOFU 


179 


my  garment,  led  me  through  passages,  down  stairs, 
and  through  yet  more  passages,  till  we  reached 
a long,  wide  dresser  fixed  against  the  wall.  “ Do 
you  want  mizu  or  oiju  ?”  she  asked,  pointing  to  the 
brass  taps.  “ Oyu  kudusai,”  I answered,  and  she 
filled  a brass  bowl  with  hot  water. 

Her  curiosity  got  the  better  of  her  when  I got 
out  a safety  razor ; and  when  I started  lathering 
my  face,  she  seemed  immensely  amused,  and 
beckoned  to  some  other  waitresses  to  come  and 
see  the  operation.  ^Vhen  I scraped  my  cheeks 
with  the  razor  their  hilarity  knew  no  bounds, 
and  it  was  only  by  repeated  dabs  at  them  with 
my  shaving-brush  that  I could  keep  them  at  a 
respectful  distance. 

Other  guests  then  appeared,  and  took  up  places 
on  each  side  of  me.  Each  one  fetched  a brass 
bowl  from  under  the  dresser,  and  a second  and 
smaller  one  from  a shelf  above.  They  washed 
their  faces,  and  dried  them  with  wet  towels  which 
they  had  put  in  the  hot  water  and  rung  out. 
They  gargled  and  washed  out  their  mouths,  took 
a curiously-formed  wooden  toothbrush  out  of  a 
basket,  and  began  polishing  their  teeth.  The 
latter  operation  is  a very  long  one,  and,  to  make 
room  for  others,  some  would  slowly  climb  up  the 


180  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


stairs  and  find  their  way  back  to  their  rooms, 
never  ceasing  to  polish  their  teeth.  I saw  some 
of  them  again  hanging  over  the  rail  of  the  veranda, 
watching  the  people  in  the  street  below,  and 
continuing  to  work  this  wooden  toothbrush  back- 
wards and  forwards  in  their  mouths.  Like  the 
chopsticks,  the  toothbrushes  are  only  used  once 
and  then  thrown  away. 

Breakfast  is  taken  in  the  same  way  as  the 
dinner.  The  dishes  are  much  the  same,  only 
fewer  in  number,  and  it  ends,  as  do  the  other 
two  daily  meals,  with  rice. 

“ Rice  ” is  the  name  given  to  all  three,  and  they 
are  distinguished  as  morning  rice,  midday  rice, 
and  evening  rice.  Until  now  I had  never  taken 
much  interest  in  plain  boiled  rice  as  a form  of 
food ; it  would  have  appeared  to  me  as  wasting 
an  appetite  had  I ever  tried  it.  I soon  began  to 
like  it,  and  daily  increased  the  quantity.  I found 
it  very  satisfying  at  the  time,  but  I got  very 
hungry  within  an  hour  or  two  after  taking  it. 
These  meals  without  meat,  butter,  or  oil  are 
digestible  if  daikon,  the  pickled  large  radish,  has 
been  eaten  of  sparingly,  but  they  very  soon  make 
you  long  for  the  next  one,  tiU  you  acquire  the 
habit  of  consuming  a large  quantity  each  time. 


KOFU 


181 


The  lotuses  were  all  and  more  than  I expected. 
The  wide  and  extensive  moat  round  the  walls 
of  the  old  castle  was  completely  covered  with 
the  stately  leaves  of  this  plant.  We  arrived 
early  enough  to  see  the  flowers  fully  open,  and 
I remained  to  paint  them  till  they  closed  up 
beneath  the  rays  of  the  noonday  sun.  It  was 
the  white  variety  which  filled  three-quarters  of 
the  moat,  while  the  pink-flowering  one  was 
confined  to  the  other  quarter. 

A grand  sight  was  this  grey-green  sea  of  lotus- 
leaves  dotted  about  with  thousands  of  its  classic- 
shaped flowers.  It  had  not  that  human  interest 
which  gave  the  pond  at  Kyoto  some  of  its  charm. 
No  little  sheds  had  been  erected  on  the  banks  in 
which  the  holiday-makers  could  sip  their  tea  and 
enjoy  the  flowers  ; but  this  vast  mass  of  tropical 
leafage  had  a grandeur  lacking  in  the  former 
and  more  intimate  subject,  ^^^hether  it  was 
intentional  or  not  I cannot  say,  but  the  white 
variety  being  confined  to  the  longest  stretches 
of  the  moat  helped  the  suggestion  of  a green 
sea  in  a manner  which  the  pink  variety  would 
not  have  done.  The  slightest  stir  in  the  air 
would  cause  an  undulation  in  the  leaves,  and 
where  it  lost  itself  in  the  distance  the  massing 


182  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


of  the  white  flowers  suggested  the  crests  of  waves 
breaking  near  the  shore. 

When  the  leaves  had  uncurled  and  the  flowers 
began  to  close  up  their  petals,  the  sun  had  risen 
sufficiently  high  to  find  out  the  patch  of  shade 
where  alone  it  was  possible  to  work. 

W e had  heard  of  an  hotel,  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  town,  which  had  a garden  and  lotus-pond, 
and  where  a European  meal  could  be  obtained  if 
ordered  in  time.  It  is  situated  near  the  public 
garden,  which  I was  also  anxious  to  see. 

The  Bosen-kaku,  as  it  is  called,  bears  about 
the  same  relation  to  the  Sadoko  (where  we  had 
put  up)  as  a quiet  family  hotel  in  a suburb  bears 
to  a commercial  iim  in  any  busy  centre. 

Two  sides  of  the  building  formed  an  angle 
overlooking  a characteristic  Japanese  garden, 
backed  up  by  the  larger  trees  in  the  public  park 
beyond. 

It  was  a comfort  to  get  out  of  my  tight-fitting 
European  clothes  and  put  on  the  light  cotton 
kimono  with  which  I was  provided.  We  were 
promised  Western  food,  as  they  call  it,  if  we 
would  condescend  to  wait  a half-hour  in  their 
humble  sitting-room. 

The  illustration  given  is  the  view  of  the 


THK  liO^EN  KAKU  C.ARUKN.S 


KOFU 


183 


garden  as  seen  from  this  room,  which  was  a 
large  and  spacious  one,  and  capable  of  being 
closed  up  in  many  little  compartments  by  sliding- 
screens.  We  were  served  an  excellently-prepared 
lunch,  and  were  told  that  the  bath  would  be 
heated  up  early  in  the  afternoon. 

We  could  not  have  found  a more  delightful 
place  in  which  to  spend  the  heat  of  the  day,  and 
we  had  the  beautiful  public  gardens  in  which  to 
stroll  about  and  paint  towards  evening.  W e came 
here  during  most  of  the  days  we  spent  in  Kofu. 

The  landlord  was  about  to  pick  the  lotus- 
Howers  in  his  pond,  for  we  were  on  the  eve  of  a 
Buddhist  festival,  when  bunches  of  these  l)looms 
are  placed  before  the  ancestral  tablets  and  on  the 
altars  in  the  temples.  He  desisted  from  gather- 
ing any  which  came  into  my  subject  to  oblige 
me,  and  1 think  he  was  pleased  that  his  garden 
should  figure  later  on  in  a book  on  Japan. 

The  public  park,  where  I found  another 
subject  for  the  book  on  Japanese  gardens,  was 
formerly  the  gi’ounds  of  the  large  temple  which 
overlooks  it.  It  is  beautifully  laid  out,  and  from 
many  points  of  view  it  arranges  itself  into  a 
well-composed  picture.  It  is  much  frequented 
by  the  townspeople  during  the  cool  hours  of  the 


184  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


day.  Stone  bridges,  bronze  and  stone  lanterns, 
and  pretty  little  shrines,  seem  everywhere  placed 
to  enhance  the  pictorial  effort.  Small  thatched 
tea-houses  project  over  the  margin  of  the  lake, 
and  are  partly  hidden  by  dense  evergreen  oaks.  A 
geisha  girl  will  here  play  the  samisen  to  a group 
of  listeners,  while  others  will  amuse  themselves 
feeding  the  wild-fowl  and  the  golden  carp. 

I should  have  liked  to  have  tarried  on  m Kofu 
during  the  remainder  of  the  summer.  The 
public  garden  alone  would  have  supplied  me 
with  sufficient  subjects.  But  Hakone  and 
Nikko  called  me,  as  it  was  necessary  to  do 
my  painting  in  these  high-lying  districts  before 
the  cold  weather  set  in. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


JOURNEY  TO  HAKONE 

E returned  to  Shoji  by  way  of  Uziki,  a 


station  on  the  railway  to  Tokyo.  Here 
a better-served  tram-line  took  us  to  within  easy 
reach  of  the  lakes,  and  we  were  then  able  to  get 
back  to  the  Higuchi  Hotel  in  the  same  manner 
in  which  we  had  gone  there  originally.  It  was  a 
roundabout  way,  and  necessitated  our  spending 
a night  at  a little  upland  inn,  but  the  weather 
did  not  promise  an  agreeable  tramp  back  across 
the  mountains. 

We  left  iMrs.  Higuchi’s  comfortable  hotel  a 
few  days  later  for  Hakone.  Our  landlady  was 
the  widow  of  an  Enghshman  who  had  built  this 
hotel,  a few  years  previously,  as  a resort  for 
foreigners  livmg  at  Tokyo,  and  in  the  settle- 
ments at  Yokohama  and  Kobe.  To  enable  him 
to  own  land  in  Japan,  he  had  taken  out  papers 
of  naturalization,  and  adopted  the  name  of  his 
wife.  Left  a widow  with  six  little  children,  this 


185 


186  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


poor  woman  had  nothing  to  depend  on  but  a 
heavily-mortgaged  hotel,  eighteen  miles  from 
the  nearest  town  where  pro\dsions  could  be 
obtained,  or  any  of  the  other  necessaries  required 
by  Europeans.  By  attending  to  every  detail 
herself,  she  had  not  only  been  able  to  keep  her 
establishment  together,  but  she  is  gradually 
clearing  off  the  heavy  mortgage  on  the  place. 

From  point  to  point  Shoji  is  not  more  than 
thirty  miles  from  Hakone  Lake,  but  go  by 
whatever  route  you  may  choose,  it  cannot  be 
done  in  less  than  two  long  days. 

W e decided  to  avoid  the  lakes  and  tramp  to 
Yoshida,  where  we  could  take  the  primitive 
tramway  down  to  Gotemba.  We  engaged  a 
horse  to  carry  our  luggage,  and  its  owner  to 
show  us  the  way. 

For  the  first  five  or  six  miles  we  followed  a 
track  through  the  forest  which  clothes  the 
northern  base  of  Fujiyama  ; the  landscape  then 
opened  up  a little,  and  we  occasionally  got  a 
good  view  of  the  great  mountain.  At  Namsawa, 
a village  about  half-way  to  Yoshida,  we  took 
our  rest. 

The  little  High  Street  was  similar  in  character 
to  that  of  most  other  villages  in  this  part  of 


JOURNEY  TO  HAKONE 


187 


Japan,  but  the  detached  houses  were  singular 
in  that  each  one  was  surrounded  with  clipped 
yew  hedges,  which  often  were  as  high  as  the 
ridge  of  the  thatched  roof.  This  is  done  to 
shelter  the  houses  fi’om  the  cold  north-west 
winds  to  which  this  situation  is  exposed. 

We  saw  more  signs  of  cultivation  during  the 
remainder  of  our  walk,  and  occasionally  we 
passed  a flight  of  steps  which  led  up  to  a rustic 
shrine. 

We  reached  Yoshida  in  time  to  catch  the 
tram,  and  we  ran  down  to  Gotemba  in  less  than 
half  the  time  the  uphill  journey  had  taken  us. 
For  five  miles  or  more  our  car  ran  down  the  hill 
of  its  own  accord,  the  horses  galloping  behind  to 
be  used  when  we  reached  more  level  ground. 
We  left  the  rails  less  often  than  on  our  upward 
ride,  which  was  fortunate,  for  at  the  speed  at 
which  we  sometimes  went  a derailment  might 
have  been  a very  serious  afliiir. 

We  reached  Gotemba  soon  after  dark,  and 
put  up  at  a ramshackle  inn  where  pilgrims  spend 
the  night  before  starting  the  ascent  of  Fuji.  It 
was  very  crowded,  but  as  all  the  guests  would 
be  rising  at  daybreak  the  next  day,  it  was  not 
late  when  all  sounds  died  down. 


188  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Many  thousands  of  pilgrims  ascend  Fuji 
annually,  both  from  Yoshida  and  fi*om  Gotemba. 
It  was  well  worth  while  to  rise  at  daybreak  to 
see  them  start.  They  were  all  dressed  in  white 
cotton  kimonos,  and  wore  large  straw  hats  with 
sloping  brims.  Some  had  straw  rain-coats  rolled 
and  slung  on  their  backs,  and  others  had  oiled - 
paper  capes.  A staff,  a gourd  to  carry  the 
water,  and  an  extra  pair  of  straw  sandals, 
appeared  to  be  the  only  other  necessaries  for 
the  climb  of  nearly  twelve  thousand  feet. 

I saw  no  provision  against  the  cold,  and  it  has 
often  struck  me  how  well  the  Japanese  can  stand 
the  cold  weather,  and  how  much  they  seem  to 
feel  the  heat  in  summer. 

Our  inn,  as  well  as  the  others,  was  profusely 
decorated  with  flags  and  wooden  boards  inscribed 
with  the  names  of  the  various  pilgrim  associations 
who  had  used  it. 

The  brass  band  and  the  stimulating  drinks 
which  seem  a necessity  in  any  outing  in  Europe 
are  absent  here,  not  on  account  of  the  devotional 
object  in  view,  but  because  the  Japanese  do  not 
feel  the  want  of  such  aids  to  cheer  them  up. 
Should  the  weather  be  propitious,  this  so-called 
pilgrimage  would  probably  be  the  most  enjoyable 


JOURNEY  TO  HAKONE 


18^ 


holiday  which  any  of  these  men  could  look  back 
on.  1 saw  no  women  in  this  party,  though  1 
have  seen  plenty  of  both  women  and  children  at 
other  places  which  could  be  reached  with  less 
physical  exertion. 

We  took  an  early  train  at  Gotemba  to  Kosu, 
both  of  which  stations  are  on  the  Tokaid5 
Railway.  This  line  takes  its  name  from  the 
celebrated  road  which  connects  Kyoto  with 
Tokyo,  the  older  capital  with  the  new. 

It  was  along  this  road  that  the  Daimyos  and 
their  retinues  of  Samurai  used  to  travel  when 
they  went  from  the  Emperor’s  Court  at  Kyoto  to 
that  of  the  Shogun  at  Yedo,  as  the  present 
capital  was  then  called.  It  was  a serious 
business,  lasting  twelve  days  or  more.  Hiro- 
chige  has  familiarized  us  with  many  of  the 
picturesque  incidents  of  these  journeys  in  his 
beautiful  series  of  colour-prints,  known  as  the 
Fifty-five  Stages  of  the  Tokaido. 

An  hour’s  run  took  us  to  Kozu,  a town 
prettily  situated  on  the  shore  of  Odawara  Bay. 
An  electric  tramway,  as  up-to-date  as  any  near 
London,  runs  from  here  along  the  shore  to 
Odawara,  and  then  for  four  or  five  miles  it  rises 
inland  till  it  reaches  Y^umoto. 


190  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


We  had  to  engage  porters  at  the  latter  place 
to  carry  our  luggage  over  the  Hata  Pass  to  the 
village  of  Moto  Hakone,  which  was  our  destina- 
tion. It  is  a beautiful  walk  of  seven  or  eight 
miles  with  a rise  of  two  thousand  feet.  We  rested 
at  Hata,  the  village  which  gives  its  name  to  the 
pass. 

I should  have  been  content  to  have  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  summer  in  this  picturesque 
place  had  it  not  been  necessary  for  me  to  do  the 
well-known  locahties  in  Japan.  The  little  inn 
where  we  halted  looked  on  to  a little  garden  at 
the  back,  which  was  not  much  larger  than  a 
billiard-table  ; it  was  so  ingeniously  planned  that 
it  would  have  been  possible  to  paint  a large 
landscape  from  it.  A cascade  splashed  amongst 
moss-covered  rocks  ; miniature  trees  grew  in  the 
twisted  and  distorted  way  often  seen  in  the 
wildest  mountain  passes,  and  the  stones  had  the 
water-worn  surfaces  of  the  boulders  they  repre- 
sented. No  flowers  were  placed  where  in  a 
natural  scene  they  could  not  have  grown,  and 
which  would  probably  have  made  a jarring  note 
of  colour.  The  greys  and  greens  were  all 
sufficient  to  make  the  garden  a cool  spot  to  look 
on  in  the  summer,  and  when  the  chill  autumn 


A MOUNTAIN  HAMLET 


>’1 


JOURNEY  TO  HAKONE 


191 


would  follow  a few  maples  would  give  the  picture 
some  warm  dashes  of  colour. 

No  professional  landscape  gardener  had  designed 
it.  The  natural  taste  of  the  peasant  proprietor 
of  the  little  inn  had  sufficed  to  evolve  it  during 
the  years  he  had  been  there. 

It  is  a steep  climb  from  Hata  to  the  top  of  the 
pass,  and  over  a rough,  stony  path.  It  is  in  the 
shade,  and  commands  now  and  again  a beautiful 
view  across  the  bed  of  the  stream  which  flows 
from  Hakone  Lake  down  to  the  sea. 

We  reached  our  inn  at  Moto  Hakone  just  as 
the  sun  was  setting  behind  Fuji,  whose  summit  is 
visible  at  the  farther  end  of  the  lake. 


CHAPTER  XV 


HAKONE 


HE  whole  of  the  district  in  which  we  had 


been  all  day  is  Hakone,  properly  speaking. 
The  name  is  generally  used  by  foreigners  to 
denote  the  two  villages  which  lie  a mile  apart  at 
the  south-east  end  of  Hakone  Lake,  'fhe  one 
we  decided  to  stay  in  is  kno^vn  as  Moto  Hakone, 
to  distinguish  it  from  its  larger  neighbour. 

The  Matsuzaka  Hotel,  situated  on  the  edge  of 
the  water,  is  the  only  one  commanding  a view  of 
Fujiyama.  Half  of  it  is  .Japanese,  and  half  is 
built  and  arranged  to  accommodate  foreigners.  I 
got  a room  overlooking  the  lake,  with  a good 
light  for  painting,  in  case  inclement  weather  made 
outdoor  work  impossible. 

Frequent  wet  weather  is  the  disadvantage  of 
staying  in  this  beautiful  district.  It  rained  about 
four  days  out  of  five  ; not  the  prolonged  drizzle 
so  frequent  in  Scotland,  but  heavy  do%vnpours 


192 


HAKONE 


193 


with  sunny  intervals  and  often  grand  eloud- 
efFects. 

A more  popular  resort  than  Moto  Hakone  is 
Miyanoshita,  seven  miles  distant,  and  a thousand 
feet  lower  down.  It  is  also  easier  to  reach  from 
Y okohama. 

Miyanoshita  is,  of  all  places  in  Japan,  the  one 
which  the  tourist  recalls  with  most  pleasure. 
The  scenery  is  no  better,  if  as  good,  as  that  of 
hundreds  of  places  one  could  name,  nor  has  it  an 
exceptional  number  of  objects  of  interest  in  its 
immediate  neighbourhood.  It  has,  however,  a 
well-managed  European  hotel,  and  it  must  be 
that  the  good  food  and  other  creature-comforts 
found  there  outweigh  the  greater  interest  and 
more  artistic  surroundings  of  many  other  localities. 
The  rainfall  is  also  less  than  nearer  the  lake  ; but, 
in  spite  of  these  advantages,  I would  advise  any 
artist  who  wishes  to  make  the  most  of  his  time 
to  give  the  preference  to  Hakone. 

I confess  to  a certain  disappointment  in  the 
view  of  Fuji  obtained  from  the  Matsuzaka  Hotel. 
It  is  pretty,  when  not  blotted  out  by  the  mist, 
but  it  is  not  grand.  Its  cone-shaped  summit  is 
dwarfed  by  the  hiUs  much  nearer,  and  they  are 
poor  in  outline  and  seldom  fine  in  colour. 

13 


194  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Setting  the  view  of  Fuji  aside,  an  artist  would 
be  hard  to  please  if  he  did  not  find  ample  work 
for  his  brush  here. 

To  the  pure  landscape-painter  the  varying 
effects  seen  during  showery  weather  are  compensa- 
tion for  the  inconvenience  the  rain  may  put  him 
to.  The  numerous  tea-sheds,  which  are  run  up 
wherever  a beautiful  view  may  be  an  inducement 
to  the  pedestrian  to  rest,  furnish  good  shelters 
from  which  sketches  can  be  made. 

The  abundance  of  wild-flowers  in  the  lanes  and 
on  the  hill-sides  would  be  absent  after  a long  spell 
of  dry  weather,  and,  further,  when  the  sun  shone 
down  on  all  alike  from  a cloudless  sky,  the 
scenery  had  a tameness  compared  to  what  it  is 
during  more  variable  weather. 

There  are  evidences  that  JMoto  Hakone  and  its 
neighbour,  Hakone  proper,  had  seen  better  days. 
The  massive  stone  lanterns  and  fine  toi'ii,  the 
broken  balustrades  and  flights  of  stone  steps,  now 
leading  to  nowhere,  or  maybe  to  a dilapidated 
shrine,  tell  of  the  times  when  a powerful  Shogun 
held  his  summer  Court  here. 

The  historic  Tokaido  road  passes  through  the 
two  villages,  and  the  giant  cryptomerias  which 
shadow  it  have  witnessed  many  a picturesque 


HAKONE 


195 


scene,  when  the  Daimyds  from  the  western 
provinces  and  their  splendid  retinues  passed  here 
to  do  homage  to  their  chief  at  Yedo. 

We  first  liear  of  Hakone  in  the  history  of  this 
country  when  Yoritomo,  the  founder  of  the  Sho- 
gunate,  built  a summer  residence  near  the  lake. 
This  was  during  the  latter  half  of  the  twelfth 
century.  The  exact  spot  I could  never  ascertain, 
and  the  only  monuments  now  standing  which  tell 
of  those  bristling  times  are  the  tombs  of  the  Soga 
Brethren  and  that  of  Tora  Gozen,  the  mistress  of 
one  of  them. 

The  story  of  their  undoing  is  still  told  by  the 
professional  raconteur ; it  is  often  represented  on 
the  stage ; and  I have  seen  gruesome  presentments 
in  wax  of  their  tragic  fate.  They  rank  as  heroes 
in  the  popular  imagination,  only  second  to  the 
forty-seven  llonins,  of  whom  we  may  speak  later 
on.  It  is  strange  how  these  stories  of  blood-thirsty 
vendetta  fascinate  so  gentle  a people. 

A certain  Kudo  Suketsune,  a courtier  of  the 
Shogun,  had  killed  the  father  of  Juro  and  Goro 
Soga,  for  what  reason  we  are  not  told.  To  have 
lived  while  their  father’s  death  was  unavenged 
would  have  been  a disgrace  to  the  sons.  They 
tracked  the  murderer  to  the  Shogun’s  hunting- 


196  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


camp,  and  attempted  to  cut  him  down  in  the 
presence  of  the  Generalisshno  himself.  .Juro  was 
killed  by  one  of  Suketsune’s  retainers,  and  Goro 
was  overpowered  before  he  could  wreak  his 
vengeance.  Yoritomo,  incensed  at  the  attempt 
on  the  life  of  one  of  his  favourites,  ordered  Goro’s 
head  to  be  hacked  off  with  a blunt  sword. 

Some  say  that  the  fair  Tora  Gozen  killed  her- 
self at  the  grave  of  her  lover,  and  others  say  that 
she  became  a nun,  and  was  buried  at  her  death 
next  to  the  tombs  of  the  brothers. 

Travellers  on  the  road  from  Miyanoshita  to 
Hakone  to  this  day  place  a stone  on  these  monu- 
ments as  a mark  of  respect  to  the  heroes  who 
sacrificed  their  lives  to  avenge  their  father,  and 
some  of  the  gentler  sex  will  lay  one  on  Tora’s 
resting-place,  remembering  of  this  courtesan  only 
her  constancy  to  the  one  she  loved. 

The  images  of  a popular  god  and  the  tombs  of 
heroes  are  often  almost  obliterated  by  the  piles  of 
stones  which  the  country-folk  place  on  them.  I 
have  never  heard  any  satisfactory  explanation  of 
how  the  custom  originated.  Might  it  be  a sur- 
vival of  the  cairn  which  primitive  people  raised  to 
honour  their  dead  ? 

In  towns,  w^here  loose  stones  are  less  easily 


HAKONE 


197 


picked  up,  visiting-cards  are  often  left  on  the 
tombs,  a practice  I would  recommend  to  those 
lunaties  who  only  see  in  a monument  a suitable 
place  on  which  to  scratch  their  names. 

A short  distance  from  the  Soga  tombs  are 
the  Ni-ju-go  Bosatsu — that  is,  the  Twenty-five 
Bosatsu — carved  in  high  relief  on  a projecting 
piece  of  andesyte  rock.  They  are  attributed  to 
Kobo  Daishi,  who  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighth  and  the  beginning  of  the  ninth  centuries. 

A Bosatsu  is  one  of  a large  class  of  saints  who 
has  not  yet  attained  to  Buddhahood,  and  the 
“ Twenty-five  ” so  often  represented  in  art  are 
those  especially  sent  by  Buddha  to  watch  over  his 
followers. 

Kobo  Daishi  was  not  only  the  foremost  of 
.Japanese  Buddhist  saints,  but  is  famous  also  as 
a sculptor,  a writer,  and  a traveller.  Professor 
Chamberlain  remarks  that  “ had  his  life  lasted  six 
hundred  years  instead  of  sixty,  he  eould  hardly 
have  graven  all  the  images,  scaled  all  the  mountain- 
peaks,  eonfounded  all  the  sceptics,  wrought  all  the 
miracles,  and  performed  all  the  other  feats  with 
which  he  is  popularly  credited.”  But  as  the 
legend  tells  us  that  he  gi’aved  these  twenty-five 
images  in  one  night,  his  output  could  easily  have 


198  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


been  a large  one.  Three  of  the  figures  are  un- 
finished, and  the  country-folk  have  it  that  day- 
break arrived  before  they  were  completed.  Why 
this  artist  should  have  elected  to  work  only  in 
the  dark  is  not  explained. 

Not  many  yards  from  here  is  one  of  Japan’s 
greatest  works  in  sculptural  art.  It  is  a colossal 
figure  of  Rokudo  no  Jiso. 

The  god  is  hewn  out  of  the  solid  andesyte  rock. 
He  is  represented  as  a shaven  priest,  sitting  cross- 
legged  on  a lotus-flower  and  holding  a jewel  in 
his  left  hand.  The  staff  with  metal  rings,  which 
he  should  be  holding  in  his  right  hand,  is  gone, 
but  with  this  exception  the  figure  is  nearly  as 
perfect  as  when  it  was  first  wrought.  Almost 
needless  to  say  that  it  is  attributed  to  Kobo 
Daishi,  and  it  is  also  said  that  it  was  cut  in  one 
single  night.  Whoever  the  author  may  have 
been,  he  was  an  artist  endued  with  a fine  sense 
of  proportion  and  with  an  appreciation  of  quiet 
dignity,  without  which  no  great  work  of  plastic 
art  has  ever  been  achieved. 

The  shrubs  concealing  the  image  from  the  high 
road  made  it  a peaceable  place  in  which  to  do  my 
work.  I could  hear  tourists  to  or  from  the 
Miyanoshita  Hotel  pass  along  the  high  road  with- 


KOKrDO-NO-JIZO 


HAKONE 


199 


out  stopping  to  see  the  Jiso.  I heard  a guide 
trying  to  persuade  one  party  to  stop.  This 
answer,  in  transatlantic  English — “ I guess  we’ve 
seen  idols  enough  to  laahst  us  a lifetime  ” — settled 
the  matter. 

I have  asked  Buddhists  as  well  as  Shin- 
toists  whether  Jiso  is  a deity  of  the  former  or 
latter  religion,  and  each  seemed  to  claim  him — to 
such  an  extent  have  the  two  creeds  been  fused 
together. 

Professor  Chamberlain  describes  him  as  “ the 
compassionate  Buddhist  helper  of  those  who  are 
in  trouble.”  He  is  the  patron  of  travellers,  of 
pregnant  women,  and  of  children.  We  may 
take  it,  then,  that  Buddhism  introduced  him  into 
.lapan.  To  call  him  a god  is  misleading,  for 
Buddha  himself  was  an  agnostic,  and  to  term 
him  an  abstract  idea  of  mercy  and  kindliness 
deified  seems  hardly  comprehensible  to  a Western 
mind.  It  is  a curious  coincidence  that  the  name 
of  this  compassionate  deity  should  be  so  similar 
to  that  of  our  Lord. 

IVild  hydrangeas  grew  in  profusion  near  the 
image,  the  white  and  pale-blue  flowers  contrasting 
beautifully  with  the  dark-blue  spikes  of  monk’s- 
liood,  just  discernible  in  the  shade  of  the  bushes. 


200  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Country-folk  came  now  and  again  to  pay  their 
respects  to  the  Jiso,  and  would  often  place  a stone 
in  his  lap  or  on  the  pedestal.  He  would  probably 
have  been  partly  hidden  by  these  humble  tokens 
of  regard  were  it  not  for  the  photographic  artist 
who  tumbled  them  off  again  before  taking  his 
snapshot.  This  was  fortunate  for  me,  since  it 
would  not  have  been  worth  while  tramping  up 
this  hill  to  paint  a heap  of  stones,  charming  as 
the  sentiment  might  be. 

A couple  of  miles  from  here,  on  the  road  to 
JMiyanoshita,  lies  the  village  of  Ashinoyu,  which 
is  famous  for  its  sulphur-springs.  Many  Japanese 
suffering  from  rheumatism  and  skin  diseases  come 
here  for  a cure. 

I had  been  told  of  a pretty  garden  in  the  village, 
so  had  occasion  to  go  there  several  times.  The 
principal  hotel  is  o’wned  by  the  proprietor  of  the 
Hakone  one,  and  he  kindly  allowed  us  to  take  our 
midday  meal  there. 

I was  fortunate  in  making  the  acquaintance  of 
two  American  lady  artists  at  Hakone,  one  of 
whom  is  an  authority  on  Japanese  gardens  and 
on  the  flora  of  the  Far  East.  Her  husband. 
Captain  Basil  Taylor,  R.N.,  is  the  harbour-master 
at  Hong-Kong,  and  they  and  their  three  charm- 


HAKONE 


201 


ing  little  children  often  spend  a part  of  the 
summer  in  Japan.  Our  meeting  was  singularly 
fortunate,  for  Mrs.  Basil  Taylor  is  to  write  the 
book  on  Japanese  gardens  which  my  drawings 
are  to  illustrate. 

When  writer  and  illustrator  are  not  the  same 
person,  it  is  well  that  they  should  have  gone  over 
the  same  ground  together,  and  be  able  to  avoid 
some  of  the  misfits  which  occasionally  arise 
between  the  coloured  illustration  and  the  text. 

The  second  lady  was  Miss  Cranford,  an  artist 
of  considerable  talent,  who  had  been  painting- 
in  Japan  for  some  time. 

W e spent  several  very  pleasant  days  at  Ashi- 
noyu,  making  studies  of  the  typical  Japanese 
garden  there. 

As  I should  be  poaching  on  Mrs.  Basil  Taylor’s 
ground,  I shall  not  attempt  to  describe  its  beauty  ; 
its  ugly  side,  which  I may  perhaps  mention,  was 
the  smell  of  sulphur  which  hangs  over  the  whole 
village. 

The  Matsuzaka  Hotel  would  be  a pleasant  one 
barring  the  smell  of  the  sulphur.  It  has  some 
Europeanized  rooms,  and  Western  cooking  is 
provided  for  the  foreigners  who  wish  to  put  up 
there. 


202  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Miss  Cranford  and  I were  glad  to  get  back  to 
Japanese  food  when  we  took  our  luncheon.  It 
is  wonderful  how  the  Japanese  cooks  have  learnt 
to  prepare  food  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  foreigners, 
but  they  naturally  know  how  to  prepare  their 
native  dishes  very  much  better.  In  a land  where 
mutton  does  not  exist,  and  where  most  people 
fight  shy  of  pork,  there  must  of  a necessity  be  a 
sameness  in  the  Western  menu,  and  a native 
meal  now  and  again  makes  a very  welcome 
change. 

The  hot  sulphur  baths  are,  of  course,  the  raison 
d'etre  of  this  and  the  other  hotels  at  Ashinoyu, 
for  the  place  itself  has  neither  the  attractions  of 
Miyanoshita  nor  of  Hakone.  The  .Tapanese 
bather  wants  few  inducements  to  go  out.  He 
will  spend  most  of  the  day  in  the  hot  water,  and 
I have  heard  of  cases  where  an  entire  month  has 
been  spent  in  the  bath,  the  patient  being  so 
arranged  that  he  can  sleep  in  it  without  danger 
of  drowning. 

Hot  springs  abound  in  these  volcanic  islands, 
and  the  country  people  living  near  use  them  con- 
tinually in  cold  weather  to  keep  themselves 
warm.  The  notion  held  in  Europe  that  chills 
would  result  from  the  violent  change  of  tempera- 


HAKONE 


•203 


ture  is  not  borne  out  in  fact.  I have  myself 
often,  during  the  winter  months,  come  hi  numbed 
with  cold,  and  found  that  after  a long  soak  in  a 
hot  bath  I have  kept  warm  the  whole  evening, 
though  there  were  no  other  means  of  heating  the 
room  than  the  small  charcoal  braziers.  The 
Japanese  usually  take  a bath  before  the  evening 
meal,  and  they  hold  that  it  gives  them  an  appetite. 


HAKONE  {continued) 


"\TT HEREVER  I have  met  people  residing  in 


vv 


a country  foreign  to  their  own,  1 have 


noticed  that  a favourite  topic  of  conversation  is 
finding  fault  with  the  people  amongst  whom  they 
are  living.  Japan  is  no  exception  to  this  rule. 

A lady  resident,  who  would  certainly  not  be 
considered  a silly  woman,  was  abusing  the  country 
people  to  me  one  day,  and  ended  her  tirade  by 
saying  they  were  dirty.  I answered  that  I 
wished  they  were  all  as  clean  in  my  own  country, 
and  I suggested  that  perhaps  in  hers  the  daily  bath 
was  not  universal.  Her  answer  was  even  more 
surprising  than  her  original  statement.  “ It  is 
not  because  they  want  to  be  clean  that  they 
bathe  so  often  ; it  is  because  they  like  the  sensation 
of  the  hot  water.”  She  might  as  well  have  said 
that  a man  was  not  fed  because  he  enjoyed  the 
sensation  of  eating.  Had  she  witnessed  the 
soaping  and  scrubbing  that  takes  place  after  the 


HAKONE 


205 


soak  in  the  hot  water,  it  might  have  dawned  on 
the  good  lady  that  they  also  liked  to  be  clean. 

That  the  resident  has  some  grievances  is  certain, 
and  that  a prejudice  against  the  people  who  cause 
the  grievance  should  follow  is  perhaps  natural. 
But  it  does  not  justify  the  wholesale  abuse  often 
heard  in  the  European  settlements. 

Having  heard,  in  one  of  the  foreign  hotels 
where  I stayed,  that  I was  about  to  write  on 
Japan,  several  of  the  guests  thought  it  only  right 
that  I should  hear  the  “ true  ” state  of  the  case. 
I heard  remarks  about  people  who  stayed  a fort- 
night in  the  country  and  wi’ote  about  it  as  if  they 
knew  all  about  the  Japanese.  Also,  that  tourists 
only  saw  the  pleasant  side  of  their  character,  but, 
had  they  resided  amongst  them  and  done  business 
with  them,  they  would  tell  a very  different  tale 
when  they  wrote  their  impressions.  A gi’eat  deal 
was  said  about  dishonest  trading,  infringement 
of  patents,  and  breaches  of  contract. 

I asked  if  such  things  were  unknown  in  the 
various  countries  from  which  these  guests  hailed. 
“ Certainly,”  they  said ; “ but  there  is  this 

difference — that  in  our  country  the  law  does  not 
uphold  the  wrongdoer.”  I asked  an  American  if 
he  would  consider  it  an  infringement  of  patent  if 


206  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


a book,  written  and  published  by  an  Englishman, 
were  copied  word  by  word  and  sold  in  America 
without  making  any  compensation  to  the  author. 
“ ^yhy,  certainly,”  he  said.  I informed  him,  to 
his  surprise,  that  this  was  done,  and  that  (unless 
the  law  had  been  recently  altered)  there  was  no 
legal  redress  to  be  obtained.  I quoted  Ruskin’s 
works,  which  were  published  at  a high  price  in 
England,  and  could  be  bought  for  a dollar  or  less 
in  the  States ; I also  told  some  Teutons  that  the 
works  of  Ebers  were  pirated  in  Holland,  where 
they  were  obtainable  for  a fraction  of  the  pubKshed 
price  in  Germany.  “ If  the  books  can’t  be 
patented  in  those  two  countries,  it  can’t  be  called 
an  infringement  of  patent.”  “That  is  true 
enough,”  I had  to  admit,  “ but  more  shame  to 
those  countries  which  withhold  the  copyright.” 
“ Here  they  would  pirate  books  if  they  thought 
they  could  make  anything  by  it,”  was  said,  “ and 
they  pirate  everythuig  else  where  there  is  a chance 
of  making  a few  yen.”  “ Have  you  heard  of  the 
Black  and  White  whisky  case  ?”  I admitted 
that  I had  not,  and  that  I w^as  glad  to  hear  a 
definite  case  stated. 

Now  tliis  is  the  account  they  gave  me,  and  as 
they  were  all  merchants  who  have  been  trading 


HAKONE 


207 


in  Japan  for  some  years,  1 had  every  reason  to 
believe  that  their  account  of  this  well-known 
case  would  be  a true  one 

The  firm  of  James  Buchanan  had  patented  in 
Tokyo  their  brand  of  whisky,  and  when  it  was 
seen  that  it  was  obtaining  a considerable  sale,  a 
Japanese  set  up  a still  and  turned  out  a spirit 
which  his  countryman  might  mistake  for  the 
genuine  article.  He  labelled  his  bottles  “ Black 
and  White — House  of  Commons,”  in  exactly  the 
same  lettering  as  in  the  original,  and  signed  his 
name  in  European  cursive  handwriting,  in  such  a 
way  that  by  a native  it  might  be  mistaken  for  the 
name  of  the  Scottish  firm. 

Not  havmg  a heavy  duty  to  pay  on  his  home- 
made article,  the  distiUer  was  able  to  sell  it  at  a 
much  lower  price,  and,  unfortunately,  it  sold 
rapidly.  Messrs.  James  Buchanan  took  proceed- 
ings to  prohibit  the  sale,  and  lost  their  case  hi 
every  law-court  into  which  it  was  brought,  and 
my  informants  added  that  the  Judges  in  every 
way  favoured  their  compatriot. 

Getting  no  redress  in  the  courts,  it  was  made 
a matter  of  diplomatic  intervention,  and  only 
then  was  the  culprit  prohibited  from  selling  his 
spurious  goods. 


208  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


It  so  happened  that  a bottle  of  Reading  sauce 
was  on  the  table,  and  on  the  label  I noticed  that 
the  names  were  given  of  several  persons  who  had 
been  penahzed  for  having  infringed  the  patent. 
I pointed  this  out  to  my  friends  ; they  admitted 
that  these  acts  were  committed  in  every  country  ; 
but  this  very  label  showed  that  redress  had  been 
obtained,  whereas  here  the  offender  had  been 
encouraged  rather  than  restramed  by  the  Judges 
before  whom  his  case  was  tried. 

This  was  a very  serious  charge  to  make,  and  at 
the  time  I had  no  grounds  for  not  accepting  it. 

Some  months  later  I was  fortunate  enough  to 
become  aequainted  with  an  Englishman  who  of 
all  others  was  most  likely  to  know  the  exact 
truth  of  the  case. 

I told  him  the  account  I had  heard,  as  I was 
anxious  to  know  if  he  could  bear  it  out.  I may 
mention  that  this  gentleman  is  a patent  agent, 
and  that  his  firm  was  interested  in  this  as  well 
as  in  any  other  foreign  patents  taken  out  in 
•Japan. 

Now  for  his  version:  “The  imitation  of  the 
label  was  as  clever  a fraud  as  it  was  possible  to 
make.  It  was  true,  also,  that  Messrs.  Buchanan 
lost  their  case  in  the  law-courts ; but  it  was  not 


HAKONE  LAKE 


HAKONE 


209 


true  that  the  Judges  were  unfair,  for  the  law  as  it 
stands  would  not  allow  of  any  other  verdict. 

“ What  we  know  as  common  law  does  not 
obtain  in  Japan,  and  according  to  the  statute 
law  they  could  not  prevent  the  use  of  the  fraudu- 
lent label,  as  it  was  not  an  exact  copy.  The 
signature,  though  intending  to  deceive,  was  not 
that  of  James  Buchanan.  To  get  over  this 
rigid  adherence  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  the 
State  has  empowered  the  Patent  Office  to  try 
these  cases  by  a board  which  it  may  nominate, 
and  therefore  it  was  not  necessary  to  try  the  case 
in  tlie  law-courts.  It  was  this  board  which  finally 
settled  the  matter,  and  gave  Buchanan’s  the 
redress  they  sought.  Diplomatic  intervention 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it.” 

Now  see  how  these  two  versions  differ.  Had 
one  been  given  me  by  a Japanese  and  the  other 
by  an  alien  I should  have  been  prepared  for  a 
slight  difference,  but  both  parties  being  aliens, 
and  both  being  keenly  interested  in  the  case,  it 
is  surprising  how  dissimilar  the  two  versions  are. 

My  new  acquaintance  assured  me  that  a patent 
taken  out  in  Japan  was  as  good  a protection  as  in 
any  other  country. 

1 mentioned  a case  which  affected  me  in  a 
14 


210  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


small  way,  and  was  amused  to  hear  his  account 
of  it. 

I had  run  out  of  some  colours,  and  was  obliged 
to  get  what  I could  in  Tokyo.  I had  been 
warned  that,  if  I bought  Winsor  and  Newdon’s 
colours  in  the  tubes  marked  exactly  the  same  as 
I knew  them  to  be  in  England,  I should  be 
getting  a spurious  article,  and  that  I should 
insist  on  getting  tubes  stamped  in  a slightly 
different  way.  In  short,  I was  to  ask  for  the 
very  thing  that  I should  naturally  avoid  had  1 
not  been  warned. 

1 got  what  I wanted,  but  was  not  able  to 
follow  the  involved  story  which  I was  told  by 
the  shopman,  and  never  felt  quite  sure  that  the 
colours  I had  to  use  were  those  of  the  makers 
whose  names  were  stamped  on  the  tubes. 

My  mind  was,  however,  set  at  ease  by  the 
gentleman  connected  with  the  patents. 

Messrs.  Winsor  and  Ne^vton  had  done  as  many 
other  firms  do,  and  that  is,  to  see  first  how  then- 
goods  sell  in  Japan  before  incurring  the  slight 
expense  of  getting  them  patented — a matter  of 
£6  or  £7. 

The  colours  had  a very  good  sale,  and  a 
Japanese  set  to  work  to  imitate  them.  He  went 


HAKONE 


211 


to  the  Patent  Office  to  see  if  the  English  firm  had 
protected  itself,  and  found,  to  his  delight,  that  they 
had  not  done  so.  He  thereupon  got  an  exact 
copy  made  of  the  tubes,  and  sold  his  colours 
enclosed  in  them.  He  made  a lot  of  money,  as 
there  is  a great  demand  for  English  water-colours, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  the  fraud  leaked  out. 

Winsor  and  Newton  then  instructed  their 
agents  to  get  their  colours  patented,  and  were 
much  surprised  that  they  could  not  do  so,  as 
the  Japanese  colourman  had  forestalled  them. 
The  firm  is  now  obliged  to  sell  its  colours  in  a 
differently  stamped  tube,  made  especially  for 
Japan,  and  now  patented  in  that  country. 

Now  is  this  not  a case  of  “ penny  wise  and  pound 
foolish”?  The  expense  of  sending  an  agent  to 
Japan  to  push  their  goods  must  be  considerable, 
and  to  risk  injuring  their  trade  by  saving  a matter 
of  a few  pounds  to  protect  these  goods  seems 
incredible. 

Was  this  not  inviting  dishonesty?  And  in 
what  country  would  this  not  be  done  if  the 
trader  took  so  little  precaution  to  protect  himself  ? 

The  argument  is  often  heard  that  the  Japanese 
merchant  is  lacking  in  integrity,  because,  until 
quite  recently,  all  trade  was  looked  down  on ; 


I 


212  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 

that  the  trading  class  was  placed  lower  in  the 
social  scale  than  that  of  the  peasant ; and  that 
trade  on  a large  scale  has  so  recently  developed 
that  there  has  not  been  time  to  acquire  the 
moral  integrity  found  in  old-established  firms  in 
Europe. 

Now,  if  this  be  true,  should  it  not  naturally 
follow  that  the  class  from  which  these  traders 
sprang  would  be  a dishonest  class  ? One  camiot 
spend  the  best  part  of  a year  in  any  country 
without  having  some  dealings  with  the  people, 
and  in  my  case  the  little  business  transactions  I , 
had  were  chiefly  with  this  class.  My  experience  ^ 
was  that  they  dealt  with  me  quite  as  honestly  as  ' 
m any  country  in  Europe.  In  their  dealings 
amongst  themselves  the  Japanese  set  most 
Europeans  a good  example.  * 

The  implicit  trust  they  have  in  each  other  in 
far-away  country  districts  is  illustrated  by  the 
following  story : 

An  acquaintance  was  making  a long  walking 
tour  through  a little-frequented  part  of  the 
country,  and  wore,  as  all  Japanese  do  when  on 
the  tramp,  straw  sandals.  These  wear  out  in 
a day  or  so,  and  a new  pair  is  obtainable  in 
every  hamlet  for  about  a peimy.  The  villages 


HAKONE 


213 


were  few  and  far  between  where  this  traveller 
was  wending  his  way,  and  it  became  more  than 
likely  that  his  xvaraji  would  give  out  before  he 
could  buy  a new  pair. 

An  enterprising  native  had  foreseen  this  likeli- 
hood, and  he  fixed  a bamboo  pole  in  the  ground 
on  the  side  of  a lane  frequented  by  pilgrims  at  a 
certain  time  of  the  year.  To  the  pole  he  attached 
a large  bundle  of  straw  sandals,  and  a notice  to 
travellers  that,  should  they  wish  to  buy  a pair, 
they  were  requested  to  take  one  and  place  four 
sen  in  the  slit  in  the  bamboo  which  served  as 
a money-box. 

Anyone  could  have  walked  off  with  both  waraji 
and  money-box,  but  the  little  trader  knew  his 
people  well  enough  to  be  able  to  take  the  risk. 

Most  of  the  foreign  business  men  I met  ad- 
mitted that  the  country-folk  were  not  so  bad, 
but  that  they  could  not  trust  most  of  those  who 
had  large  dealings  with  Occidentals. 

Some  time  before  I left  home  for  Japan,  I read 
an  article  in  a leading  London  paper  in  which 
the  writer  stated  that  the  commercial  classes  in 
Japan  could  trust  each  other  so  little  that  every 
bank  in  the  country  employed  a Chinaman  as 
a cashier.  I remembered  the  gist  of  that  article 


214  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


so  well  that  I felt  a prejudice  against  the  Japanese 
of  which  I could  not  free  myself  for  some  time. 

I had  occasion  to  go  to  several  different  banks, 
and  I looked  out  each  time  for  a pig-tailed  cashier. 
Failing  ever  to  see  one,  1 made  inquiries  as  to 
how  long  the  Chinamen  had  been  replaced  by 
Japanese,  and  I discovered  that  these  Celestials 
had  never  existed  except  in  the  imagination  of 
the  writer  of  the  newspaper  article. 

The  only  possible  foundation  for  so  gross  a 
libel  on  a people  whom  we  have  made  our  allies 
is  that  in  some  of  the  foreign  banks  in  the  settle- 
ments a Chinese  comprador  is  engaged  to  attend 
to  the  Chinese  correspondence. 

I had  heard  the  Japanese  trader  ill  spoken  of  in 
Hong-Kong,  in  Shanghai,  and  at  Kobe,  where  I 
first  landed,  and  in  every  case  by  men  engaged  in 
business  themselves,  whom  1 considered  qualified 
to  give  an  opinion.  I was  much  relieved  after- 
wards to  hear  from  others,  who  resided  in  the 
country  for  purposes  other  than  trade,  that  these 
reports  were  very  much  exaggerated.  A British 
Consul,  who  knew  the  countiy  well,  said  that, 
considering  the  short  while  commerce  on  a large 
scale  had  been  carried  on,  it  was  wonderful  how 
well  business  was  conducted. 


HAKONE 


215 


I made  the  friendship  of  M.  Odin,  a cultured 
Frenchman,  long  residentin  Kyoto,  and,  as  he 
was  in  no  manner  connected  with  trade,  I was 
anxious  to  hear  his  \dews. 

“ Is  it  not  natural,”  he  said,  “ that  the 
foreigner,  who  hitherto  has  had  all  the  export 
and  import  trade  in  his  own  hands,  should  feel 
sore  when  he  sees  it  gradually  slipping  away 
from  him,  owing  to  the  competition  of  the 
native  trader  ? Is  it  to  be  supposed  that  a 
nation  which  has  risen  to  a first-rate  Power  should 
not  strive  to  do  its  own  exporting  and  import- 
ing ? The  Japanese  are  becoming  formidable 
competitors  in  both  trades,  and  it  is  hardly  from 
their  rivals  that  you  should  expect  an  unbiassed 
opinion.” 

The  foreign  houses  are  not  making  the  money 
that  they  formerly  made,  and  many  little  vexa- 
tions which  exist  in  the  foreign  settlements  cause 
more  irritation  now  than  when  the  trade  of  these 
houses  was  more  prosperous. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  the  foreigner  in 
Yokohama  pays  a higher  price  for  the  necessaries 
of  life  than  does  the  native  resident,  and  the 
globe-trotter  is  charged  more  for  the  curios  he 
buys  than  the  foreign  resident  would  be,  who  has 


216  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


been  long  enough  in  the  country  to  have  acquired 
some  of  the  language.  In  most  countries  com- 
petition would  equalize  the  prices  to  a certain 
extent.  But  competition  between  two  of  a trade 
hardly  exists  in  Japan.  Most  of  the  articles 
consumed  by  the  foreigners  are  not  wanted  by 
the  Japanese.  The  butcher,  the  baker,  and  the 
dairyman  only  existed  for  the  use  of  the 
foreigner  until  quite  recently,  and  even  now 
their  goods  are  little  in  request  with  their 
compatriots. 

The  tradesmen  are  loyal  to  each  other,  and  if 
they  decide  that  the  alien  should  pay  a certain 
price,  it  is  useless  for  that  alien  to  try  and  play 
off  one  against  the  other.  In  towns  where  few 
foreigners  reside  this  kind  of  boycott  does  not 
obtain,  except  at  a few  of  the  places  of  amuse- 
ment patronized  by  the  tourists.  The  excuse  is 
that  the  tourist  gives  more  trouble,  that  he  will 
not  content  himself  by  squatting  on  the  floor,  and 
will  not  take  off  his  boots,  and  has  to  be  supplied 
with  coverings  for  his  feet  in  order  not  to  dirty 
the  mats.  Those  who  give  extra  trouble  should 
be  prepared  to  pay  something  extra. 

This  reasoning  does  not  always  hold  good,  as 
the  following  will  show  : 


HAKONE 


217 


A Frenchman  at  Kyoto  asked  me  to  dine 
with  him  at  his  hotel  to  meet  a well-known 
Japanese  architect.  After  a pleasant  dinner  oiir 
Japanese  friend  proposed  that  we  should  go  to 
the  play,  and  nothing  loath,  we  all  three  went  to 
the  principal  theatre.  We  took  off  our  boots 
and  squatted  on  the  matting  just  the  same  as  did 
any  of  the  other  spectators. 

An  official  came  and  demanded  double  the 
price  of  admission  for  the  Frenchman  and 
myself,  though  we  had  in  every  way  conformed 
to  the  usages  of  the  country.  The  architect 
refused  to  pay  this ; we  were  his  guests,  and 
it  was  he  who  had  taken  the  three  tickets, 
and,  being  a Japanese,  he  was  not  going 
to  pay  more  than  the  Japanese  price.  The 
theatre  official  argued  that  the  nationality  of 
the  purchaser  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and 
that  it  was  the  nationality  of  the  user  which 
made  the  difference.  Our  friend  answered  that 
the  advertised  price  was  all  he  would  get,  and 
that  if  he  made  any  more  fuss  about  it  a 
policeman  would  be  sent  for.  This  settled  the 
matter. 

The  argument  was  carried  on  in  such  a quiet 
manner  that,  for  all  1 knew  at  the  time,  they 


218  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


might  have  been  inquiring  about  the  health  of 
each  other’s  relations. 

At  theatres  and  shows,  which  are  not  the 
usual  “ sights  ” tourists  are  recommended  to  do, 
such  extortion  does  not  take  place. 

A small  matter  like  this  does  a good  deal  of 
harm  to  the  reputation  of  the  Japanese,  and  I 
feel  sure  that  if  it  were  represented  to  the  proper 
authorities  it  would  be  stopped. 

1 have  dealt  rather  lengthily  on  the  aspersions 
often  cast  on  the  commercial  morality  of  the 
.Japanese,  firstly  because  it  is  a subject  one  hears 
about  ad  nauseam  in  the  Far  East,  and  secondly 
because  the  exaggerated  charges  often  made  are 
liable  to  give  a very  wrong  impression  of  the 
character  of  this  very  lovable  people. 

Where  they  are  least  attractive  is  where  they 
have  come  most  under  European  influence. 

liCt  us  now'  return  to  the  gods  so  many  of 
the  commercial  Japanese  are  said  to  have  for- 
saken. 

At  the  south  of  the  long,  straggling  street, 
which  follows  the  sw’^eep  of  the  lower  end  of  the 
lake,  and  which  is  knowm  as  Moto  Hakone,  you 
will  find  an  avenue  leading  to  some  stone  steps, 
suggesting  a shrine  beyond.  A Buddhist  temple 


L f e*  1 

^ ' 

HAKONE 


219 


of  some  importance  stood  formerly  where  the 
modest  dwelling  of  a priest  now  stands. 

It  is  at  the  entrance  to  this  avenue  where  our 
interest  now  lies.  A beautiful  bronze  figure  of 
.lisd  is  to  the  right  of  it,  and  a strange  row  of 
small  stone  Buddhas  is  on  the  left-hand  side. 

The  image  of  the  merciful  god  and  the  friend 
of  little  children  is  the  pride  of  the  villagers,  and 
they  regard  it  much  the  same  as  the  Brittany 
peasants  regard  their  parish  Calvaire. 

It  is  a fine  work  of  art.  I’his  is  said  in  fear  and 
trembling,  lest  the  mania  for  housing  in  museums 
works  which  were  intended  to  be  seen  out  of 
doors  may  spread  in  Japan  as  in  other  countries  ; 
and  were  this  image  removed  from  its  present 
suiToundings,  it  would  lose  most  of  its  charm. 
J’he  oxidation  has  given  the  metal  a beautiful 
colour,  which  relieves  it  from  the  sombre  green  of 
the  cryptomerias,  making  a perfect  harmony.  A 
bunch  of  flowers,  a lantern,  or  some  other  thank- 
offering  is  oftimes  placed  at  the  base ; and 
should  this  positive  note  of  colour  be  absent,  we 
find  it  in  the  garments  of  the  little  children  who 
play  near  the  .Jiso,  as  if  instinctively  they  felt  his 
protecting  care. 

May  this  image  always  remain  where  it  now 


220  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


is  ! It  faces  the  Tokaid5  Road,  Japan’s  most 
historic  highway ; and  the  innate  sense  of  the 
beautiful,  with  which  all  Japanese  are  endowed, 
will  be  as  gi’eat  a protection  as  the  walls  of  a 
museum. 

It  presumably  belongs  to  the  sect  of  Buddhists 
who  ministered  in  the  temple  which  stood  near 
here.  I¥hether  (now  that  Buddhism  is  dis- 
established) this  sect  has  not  the  means  to  affect 
the  necessary  repairs  I cannot  say,  but  the 
beauty  of  the  image  is  very  much  spoilt  through 
one  of  the  legs  and  a part  of  the  drapery  ha\dng 
been  broken  off.  Partially  to  support  the  statue, 
and  also  to  secure  the  detached  piece  of  bronze 
from  being  carried  off,  the  latter  has  been  wedged 
under  the  sitting  figure  in  such  a manner  that 
the  foot  sticks  up  in  the  air,  and  has  a very 
undignified  appearance. 

The  young  priest  who  lives  in  the  little  house 
which  partly  appears  in  the  illustration  took 
an  interest  in  my  drawing,  and  this  emboldened 
me  to  ask  him  if  I might  be  allowed  to  place 
the  leg  temporarily  in  position,  so  as  to  enable 
me  to  draw  the  image  as  it  should  be.  He 
consented,  and  Mr.  Tsuda  and  I tried  to  lift 
the  image  sufficiently  to  disengage  the  leg.  It 


HAKONE 


221 


was  much  too  heavy,  but  as  it  was  then  about 
midday,  some  of  the  villagers  were  returning 
from  their  work,  and  I got  the  assistance  of  half 
a dozen  willing  hands. 

It  was  a more  serious  business  than  I antici- 
pated, for  we  had  to  lift  the  image  bodily  up 
before  we  could  disengage  the  broken  member  ; 
props  were  necessary  to  prevent  the  Jiso  from 
falling  forward  when  the  bronze  fragment  was 
removed  from  under  him  ; and  when,  finally,  the 
leg  was  placed  in  its  natural  position,  half  the 
village  had  turned  out  to  see  what  was  the 
matter. 

As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  it  now  began  to 
rain  ; not  sufficiently  to  drive  away  the  crowd, 
but  enough  to  make  my  work  very  difficult.  A 
paper  umbrella  was  borrowed  from  the  nearest 
cottage,  and  under  this  I painted  the  leg.  My 
spectators  were  all  agreed  that  their  Jiso  should 
be  seen  to  the  best  advantage  in  his  picture, 
which  would  be  shown  in  foreign  parts. 

It  rained  all  the  afternoon,  and  a stormy 
evening  followed.  A hon-ible  fear  got  hold  of 
me  that  some  of  the  supports  would  give  way, 
and  that  the  image  would  fall  over.  We  had 
had  severe  earthquake  shocks  two  or  three  weeks 


222  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


previously,  and,  should  we  have  another,  the  Jiso 
would  surely  be  shaken  off  its  pedestal  and  get 
hopelessly  broken.  I ran  round  early  the  next 
morning  to  see  that  nothing  untoward  had  hap- 
pened, and  I found  that  the  same  fears  had  been 
entertained  by  others  as  well  as  myself ; for 
someone  had  had  it  safely  replaced,  as  it  was 
when  first  I saw  it. 

I made  some  further  studies  of  gardens,  and 
tried  to  get  a satisfactory  drawing  of  Fuji  from 
the  lake.  I saw  many  other  subjects  that  I 
wished  to  paint,  but  could  defer  my  visit  to 
Nikko  no  longer. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


NIKKO 


E had  to  descend  to  Kosu  by  the  same 


route  we  took  when  we  left  the  Tokaido 
Railway  on  our  way  to  Hakone.  I decided  to 
spend  a couple  of  days  at  Tokyo,  which  we  had 
to  take  on  our  way  to  Nikko. 

My  first  impressions  of  the  new  capital  were 
not  as  agreeable  as  those  I had  on  my  first 
arrival  in  the  old.  There  is  a restfulness  about 
Kyoto  which  Tokyo  lacks.  The  former  is 
suggestive  of  Japan  under  the  old  regime,  while 
the  latter  savours  of  a new  Japan  still  in  the 
making.  It  has  an  unfinished  look,  and  the  new 
and  the  old  do  not  yet  hit  it  off.  During  a 
prolonged  stay,  after  my  visit  to  Xikko,  I found 
so  much  of  interest  in  and  about  Tokyo  that  my 
liking  for  the  place  increased  considerably. 

Let  us  proceed  to  Nikk5  now,  and  we  can 
refer  again  to  Tokyo  in  another  chapter. 

The  journey  is  a simple  one,  an  up-to-date 


223 


224  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


train  taking  its  passengers  from  theUeno  Station 
to  Nikko  itself  in  four  or  five  hours. 

Travellers  in  Japan  owe  a great  deal  of  their 
pleasure  to  the  exeellent  guide  Murray  has 
published. 

This  country  has  had  a number  of  singularly 
gifted  English  and  American  writers  to  describe 
its  beauties,  to  translate  its  folklore,  and  also  to 
write  its  history.  The  Japanese  Government 
has  secured  the  assistance  of  many  eminent 
scientists,  whose  works  have  been  published  in 
our  language.  French  and  German  men  of 
letters  have  also  added  a great  deal  to  the  litera- 
ture of  Japan  in  the  languages  of  their  respective 
countries. 

From  this  galaxy  of  literati,  Messrs.  John 
Murray  got  Professor  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain  to 
do  the  descriptive  writing  in  the  “ Handbook  on 
Japan,”  and  they  also  secured  the  services  of 
Mr.  W.  B.  Mason,  who  knows  more  of  the 
geography  of  the  country  than  anyone  else. 

The  Nikko  express  is  up-to-date  in  everythmg 
except  speed  ; it  gives  the  traveller  plenty  of  time 
to  consult  his  Murray,  and  the  beautiful  things 
Murray  tells  him  to  expect  make  him  impatient 
to  get  to  his  destination. 


NIKKO 


225 


Turning  to  Route  16,  he  will  find  a Japanese 
prov^erb  says,  “ Do  not  use  the  w^ord  ‘ magnificent  ’ 
till  you  have  seen  Nikk5 

Nikko  wo  rainai  uchi  wa, 

‘ Kekko  ’ to  iu  na  ! 

“ Nikko’s  is  a double  glory — a glory  of  nature 
and  a glory  of  art.  Mountains,  cascades,  monu- 
mental forest-trees,  had  always  stood  there.  To 
these,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  were  added 
the  mausolea  of  the  illustrious  Shogun  leyasu, 
founder  of  the  Tokugawa  Dynasty,  and  of  his 
scarcely  less  famous  grandson,  lemitsu.  Japanese 
w'ood-carving  and  painting  on  wood  being  then 
at  their  zenith,  the  result  was  the  most  perfect 
assemblage  of  shrines  in  the  whole  land.  But 
though  there  is  gorgeousness,  there  is  no  gaudi- 
ness. That  sobriety  which  is  the  key-note  of 
.lapanese  taste  gives  to  all  the  elaborate  designs 
and  bright  colours  its  own  chaste  character.” 

In  addition  to  this  promise  of  beautiful  art  and 
glorious  Nature,  I had  met  no  one,  during  the  five 
months  1 had  already  spent  in  Japan,  who  did 
not  ask  me  what  1 thought  of  Nikko  or  who  would 
not  exclaim,  “ Is  not  Nikko  a marvel  ?”  or  some- 
thing similar. 

I had  more  than  once  taken  two  days  to  get 
15 


226  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


over  a distance  of  fifty  miles,  and  now  I felt 
irritated  that  the  train  should  take  five  hours  to 
do  a ninety-mile  journey,  which  would  prevent 
our  seeing  the  temples  that  day.  We  English 
have  the  reputation  of  being  a phlegmatic 
nation,  and  we  rather  pride  ourselves  in  being 
able  to  suppress  our  feelings  ; we  are,  however, 
children  in  this  respect  compared  to  the  Japanese. 
My  interpreter,  IMr.  Tsuda,  had  never  seen 
Nikko,  and  Nikko  is  the  IMecca  of  .Japan.  A 
long  stop  at  a small  station  where  no  one  got 
out  or  got  in  would  never  evoke  a sign  of 
impatience  from  him  or  from  any  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen.  Had  some  accident  delayed  us  a 
whole  day,  a few  quiet  questions  might  have 
been  asked ; no  other  signs  of  irritation  would 
have  been  apparent.  I am  used  myself  to  take 
things  much  as  I find  them,  and,  had  I been  in 
some  ramshackle  diligence,  and  been  obliged  to 
pass  the  night  wherever  the  crazy  old  thing 
happened  to  break  down,  I should  have  felt  less 
impatient  than  in  this  up-to-date  train.  It 
looked  so  European  that  I felt  its  being  called 
an  express  was  an  untimely  bit  of  sarcasm. 

The  cries  of  “ Bento  ! Bento  !”  are  as  familiar  at 
.Japanese  railway-stations  as  “ Morning  paper  !” 


THE  SHRINE  OE  lEMITSU 


Si  » 


J 


NIKKO 


227 


is  to  us  at  home.  Bento  is  not  a thing  to  read 
on  a journey,  but  one  to  inwardly  digest,  if  pickled 
radish  and  bamboo -shoots  are  eaten  in  modera- 
tion. Mr.  Tsuda  procured  two  lots,  a bottle  of 
warm  sake,  two  pots  of  tea,  and  two  little  cups. 
The  bento,  or  luncheon,  is  supplied  in  two 
separate  boxes,  neatly  fastened  with  some 
coloured  ribbon.  One  contains  nothing  but 
warm,  plain-boiled  rice,  while  the  other  has  an 
assortment  of  vegetable  matter  and  some  fish, 
the  latter  separated  from  the  former  by  a thin 
wooden  partition.  It  reminded  me  of  the  boxes 
of  German  toys,  the  joy  of  cliildren  in  the  sixties ; 
sometliing  I ate  dimly  recalled  the  taste  of  the 
red  paint  on  a cow  I had  put  in  my  mouth,  and 
an  artificial  leaf,  placed  here  to  give  the  bento 
the  touch  of  colour  the  combination  required, 

I brought  back  those  green  scratchy  trees  under 
which  small  wooden  cows  loved  to  graze.  A 
new  pair  of  chopsticks  and  a toothpick  neatly 
wrapped  in  tissue-paper  accompanies  the  lunch. 

We  are  told  that  prices  have  doubled  since 
j the  late  war,  and  are  three  times  higher  than  in 
; the  nineties ; I hardly  expected,  therefore,  to 
I get  change  out  of  a fifty-sen  bit — i.e.,  one  shilling 
' — for  all  this  food,  with  tlie  crockery  thrown  in. 


228  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


A double  row  of  passengers  now  sit  on  their 
heels  on  the  two  long  benches  to  right  and  left 
of  the  carriage.  When  the  meal  is  over,  the 
empty  boxes  are  thrown  on  the  floor ; the  chop- 
sticks follow ; orange-  and  apple-peel,  paper 
napkins,  and  emptied  teapots  all  add  to  the 
litter.  When  the  men  unsheath  the  small- 
bowled  pipes  which  hang  from  their  girdles,  and 
the  women  produce  theirs  from  a pocket  in  their 
long  hanging  sleeves  or  from  the  recesses  of  the 
obi,  the  attendant  comes  and  sweeps  up  all  the 
debris,  and  shoots  it  on  to  the  permanent  way. 

We  get  glimpses  now  and  again  of  the  avenue 
of  ancient  cryptomerias  which  formerly  led  from 
Tokyo  to  the  mausolea  of  the  great  Shoguns. 
Many  of  the  trees  have  unhappily  been  felled, 
but  on  nearing  Nikko  the  avenue,  for  a distance 
of  twenty  miles,  is  lined  with  these  giants. 

We  reached  Nikko  Station  at  dusk,  and  were 
installed  in  the  Konishi-ya  Hotel  soon  after.  It 
is  well  not  to  arrive  late  in  the  day  at  any 
Japanese  yadoya ; the  early  guest  gets  into  the 
hot  bath  first.  It  is  not  the  custom  to  take  it  in 
the  morning,  except  at  thermal  stations  where  it 
is  going  all  day.  We  secured  an  eight-mat 
room  overlooking  the  High  Street,  and  were  told 


NIKKO 


229 


that  in  a day  or  two  a number  of  pilgrims  would 
be  leaving,  and  we  might  be  able  to  choose  a 
room  more  to  our  liking. 

The  life  here  was  much  the  same  as  at  the 
Kofu  Hotel,  except  that  the  pilgrims  who  flock 
to  Nikko  are  rather  more  noisy  than  the  business 
men  who  patronize  the  former. 

We  were  up  early  the  next  morning,  as  I was 
itching  to  see  tlie  sights  and  make  the  most  of 
the  flne  weather.  The  hotel  is  close  to  the 
rapidly-flowdng  Daiya-gawa,  which  has  to  be 
crossed  before  reaching  the  mausolea.  It  is 
spanned  by  a wide  bridge,  which  we  and  other 
ordinary  mortals  have  to  take ; forty  yards  up- 
stream is  a second,  and  this  one  none  save  the 
Mikado  is  allowed  to  cross.  This  is  the  Mihashi, 
or  Sacred  Bridge.  The  whole  structure  is  red- 
lacquered,  and,  partly  owing  to  its  unusual  colour, 
as  well  as  its  exclusiveness,  it  has  become  one  of 
tlie  noted  sights  of  Japan.  It  has  been  quite 
recently  reconstructed,  as  the  original  one,  which 
dated  from  nearly  three  centuries  ago,  was 
washed  away  in  1902. 

A legend  tells  us  that  one  of  the  earliest 
Buddhist  saints,  Shodo  Slionin,  went  in  search 
of  a holy  spot,  which  had  been  indicated  to  him 


230  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


from  afar  by  four  differently  coloured  clouds 
ascending  from  it.  His  journey  was  stopped  by 
the  river,  which  was  a rushing  torrent  at  the 
time.  He  prayed  for  Divine  help  to  enable  him 
to  cross,  and  in  answer  to  his  prayer,  a gigantic 
being,  in  coloured  robes  and  a necklace  of  skulls, 
appeared  on  the  opposite  bank.  The  mysterious 
creature  threw  a blue  and  a green  snake  across 
the  stream,  not  loosing  the  tips  of  their  tails, 
which  formed  a rainbow-like  bridge,  and  our 
saint  was  able  to  cross. 

The  Sacred  Red  Bridge  now  spans  the  river  at 
this  particular  spot.  The  legends  of  Shodo 
Shonin,  and  of  the  still  more  famous  Kobo 
Daishi,  who  appeared  here  a century  later,  lend 
an  interest  to  the  place.  But  for  my  immediate 
purpose  the  bridge  was  no  use,  for  I decided  not 
to  paint  it  the  moment  I saw  it. 

Crossing  the  river,  we  ascend  an  avenue  just 
opposite  the  Sacred  Bridge.  The  dark  green 
cryptomerias  hardly  allow  a ray  of  sunhght  to 
penetrate,  and  the  darkness  of  the  approach 
emphasizes  the  dazzle  of  colour  of  the  temple 
buildings  when  the  first  glimpse  of  them  is 
caught.  At  the  top  of  the  avenue,  we  come  to 
a large  walled  enclosure,  the  Mangwanji,  in  which 


NIKKO 


231 


a monastery,  founded  by  Shodo  Shonin,  formerly 
stood. 

The  road  skirts  two  sides  of  the  enclosure,  and 
on  reaching  the  angle  we  enter  the  main  avenue, 
which  takes  us  through  torii  and  elaborate  gate- 
ways to  the  mausoleum  of  leyasu.  Touches  of 
scarlet  and  gold  glitter  in  the  morning  sun  at  the 
far  end  of  the  perspective,  closed  in  by  the 
cryptomerias  which  intervene. 

We  ascend  some  broad  steps  farther  on,  pass 
under  a great  granite  torii,  and  are  then  in  full 
view  of  the  Ni-o-mon.  the  Gate  of  the  Two 
Kings.  It  stands  on  a raised  terrace,  which  is 
approached  by  a broad  stairway.  The  retaining 
wall  of  the  terrace,  with  its  stone  balustrade  and 
the  imposing  flight  of  steps,  are  well  proportioned 
to  the  gateway,  but  all  is  dwarfed  by  the  immense 
size  of  the  crj^ptomerias  which  overshadow  it. 
The  main  colouring  of  the  woodwork  is  scarlet 
and  gold,  and,  seen  from  a little  distance,  it  is 
impressive  as  a gem  in  an  expansive  dark  green 
setting.  When  the  trees  were  only  ornamental 
shrubs,  the  gateway  and  the  buildings  beyond 
would  have  been  imposing  from  their  size  as  well 
as  from  the  elaborate  carving  and  brilliant  colour- 
ing ; but  they  look  small  now  until  a figure 


232  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


stands  near  them  to  give  the  scale.  What 
they  may  have  lost  one  way  is,  however,  amply 
compensated.  The  gem-like  effect  of  the  Nikko 
temples,  overshadowed  and  backed  up  by  the 
great  cryptomerias,  is  perhaps  their  chief  charm. 

A bright  red  wall  encloses  the  courtyard 
beyond  the  gateway.  The  three  gorgeous  build- 
ings which  stand  here  are  merely  storehouses ; 
what  the  chief  shrine  must  be  hke  passes  all 
imagination.  My  little  knowledge  of  architecture 
and  decoration  is  all  at  sea.  After  this  scarlet 
wall  nothing  need  surprise.  The  shadow  from 
its  wide  coping  and  the  high  key  of  colour  all 
around,  however,  puts  it  right,  and  no  other 
colour  would  probably  have  done  as  well. 

The  next  court,  which  is  approached  by  another 
flight  of  steps,  is  more  wonderful  stdl.  The 
quaint-shapen  drum-tower  on  the  left,  the  hand- 
some bell-tower  on  the  right,  the  two  huge  bronze 
candelabra,  and  the  higlily-%vrought  lantern  from 
Korea,  fill  the  spectator  as  much  with  wonder  as 
^\dth  admu'ation. 

A building  with  a comparatively  modest 
exterior  stands  on  the  extreme  left  of  this  plat- 
form. It  was  erected  in  memory  of  Yakushi, 
the  Buddhist  patron  saint  of  leyasu.  On  enter- 


NIKKO 


233 


ing,  we  find  that  the  interior  eclipses  anything 
which  we  have  so  far  seen.  All  that  the  art  of 
the  period  was  able  to  produce  is  seen  here  to 
perfection. 

The  mausoleum  of  the  great  Shogun  being 
now  the  property  of  the  State,  the  temple  furni- 
ture which  pertains  to  the  Buddhist  cult  has  in 
many  places  been  removed  ; but  in  this  shrine, 
specially  dedicated  to  Yakushi,  the  wishes  of  its 
founder  have  been  respected.  The  statues  of  the 
four  Heavenly  Kings  stand  in  pairs  on  each  side 
of  the  altar — terrific  beings  brandishing  weapons 
and  stamping  demons  underfoot.  The  twelve 
followers  of  Yakushi  are  to  the  right  and  left  of 
the  Shi-Tenno,  as  the  four  Kings  are  called. 
A Vhere  there  is  so  much  gold  and  brilliant  colour- 
ing in  the  decoration  of  the  wall  spaces,  it  is  sur- 
prising to  find  a subdued  colour  in  the  ceiling ; 
a dragon  painted  in  sepia  wTiggles  and  twists  over 
the  whole  of  it.  It  is  the  work  of  one  of  the 
Kano,  and  the  wonderful  draughtsmanship  com- 
pensates for  the  lack  of  colour. 

On  leaving  this  temple,  it  is  a relief  to  rest 
one’s  eyes  on  the  sober  grandeur  of  the  crj’pto- 
merias  which  overtop  all  the  buildings. 

The  north  wall  of  the  court  is  decorated  with 


234  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


large  panels  of  marvellous  high-relief  wood-carv- 
ing. Birds  fluttering  amongst  foliage  or  sprays 
of  blossom,  feeding  their  young,  or  spreading  out 
their  plumage,  are  the  chief  subjects.  The 
Japanese  pheasant  is  most  in  evidence,  doubtless 
on  account  of  its  beautiful  colour,  for  all  this 
elaborate  carving  is  painted  in  the  hues  proper  to 
the  subject  it  represents.  Red-lacquered  beams, 
which  form  the  framework  of  the  fence,  serve 
also  as  a setting  to  each  panel. 

Ascending  a third  set  of  steps,  we  reach  the 
terrace  on  which  the  Y dmei-mon  stands.  This  gate 
is  the  most  noted  of  all  the  structures  in  the  Nikko 
mausolea.  Whether  it  was  that  I had  had  too 
rich  a diet  of  Oriental  splendour  to  appreciate  fully 
this  building  I cannot  say,  but  I certainly  longed 
for  some  plain  surface  in  this  higlily  orna- 
mented and  wondrously  coloured  gate.  Every 
available  material  is  used  in  its  construction, 
every  surface  is  covered  with  some  geometrical 
pattern  or  high-rehef  carving.  Rampant  monsters 
look  as  if  they  might  fall  off  the  lintels,  and  a 
strange  beast  sprmgs  out  where  the  lintel  rests  on 
its  supporting  pillar.  The  colour  scheme  differs 
from  the  temple  buildings  we  have  so  far  seen : 
the  columns  are  painted  white  instead  of  the  red 


NIKKO 


235 


lacquer  so  much  in  use ; blue  and  green  is  also 
more  freely  used  on  the  carving.  It  has  a look 
of  lightness  which  is  pleasing,  but  the  large 
shadow  spaces  in  the  recesses  and  under  the  porch 
are  too  much  cut  up  in  strongly  contrasting  tones  ; 
the  value  of  the  broad  shadow  is  partly  lost 
thereby,  and  it  gives  the  structure  an  appearance 
of  unsubstantiality. 

That  the  Yomei-mon  was  a supreme  effort  on 
the  part  of  both  architect  and  patron  is  evidenced 
by  a detail  which  the  guide  points  out.  The 
pattern  on  one  of  the  pillars  has  been  purposely 
inverted,  and  it  is  known  as  the  Evil-Averting 
Pillar — j\la-  Yoke  no  Hashira.  The  superstition 
was  that  a building  without  a flaw  might  excite 
the  jealousy  of  the  gods,  and  bring  misfortune  on 
the  founder’s  family.  The  gods  must  be  easily 
taken  in,  for  the  effect  is  in  nowise  hurt  by 
it.  Space  does  not  allow  of  a detailed  descrip- 
tion of  this  as  well  as  of  the  other  numerous 
buildings. 

The  Kara-mon,  or  Chinese  Gate,  faees  the 
Yomei-mon  on  the  farther  side  of  the  square. 
The  detail  is  Chinese  in  character,  tliough  the 
main  outlines  are  .Japanese  ; it  is  as  elaborate  in 
ornamentation  as  the  one  we  have  left,  but  it  is 


236  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


smaller,  so  as  not  to  dwarf  the  shrine  to  which  it 
gives  access. 

The  Honden,  or  oratory,  has  a profusely 
decorated  exterior,  but  so  much  ornamentation 
has  been  lavished  on  the  buildings  leading  to  it 
that  there  was  nothing  left  to  make  it  stand  out 
as  of  greater  importance  than  the  others. 

The  interior  is  very  beautiful ; it  looks  empty 
in  contrast  to  the  richly-furnished  shrine  of 
Yakushi,  which  we  have  seen.  This  comes 
almost  as  a rehef ; had  the  gorgeous  emblems  of 
the  Buddhist  cult  not  been  removed,  one’s 
capacity  for  admiration  would  have  been  as  ex- 
hausted as  the  adjectives  possible  to  describe  it. 
The  Holy  of  Holies  is  beyond  ; to  gain  access  to 
it  special  arrangements  have  to  be  made,  as  well 
as  the  payment  of  ten  yen — equal  to  about  a 
guinea. 

We  had  visited  numerous  other  buildings 
attached  to  the  great  mausoleum ; we  had  in- 
spected so  many  objects  and  details  not  mentioned 
here,  though  full  of  interest,  that  it  was  with  no 
feelings  of  sour  grapes  that  we  turned  away  to 
seek  the  tomb  of  leyasu. 

The  G.P.F.,  who  has  absorbed  some  of  the 
Voltairian  spirit  prevalent  among  the  educated 


A SHRIN'K  A'l  NMKKO 


NIKKO 


237 


classes  in  Japan,  seemed  to  think  that  the  special 
arrangements  might  be  easily  made,  were  the  ten 
yen  forthcoming.  His  comment  that  temples  and 
most  religious  buildings  were  means  of  extracting 
money  was  rather  severe.  Hitherto  live  farthings 
was  all  that  we  had  had  to  pay  to  be  shown 
round  the  inner  compartments  of  any  temple. 
Nikko  stands  alone  in  this  respect.  A vast  sum 
of  money  is  needed  to  keep  the  buildings  in 
repair,  and  it  is  fair  that  those  who  enjoy  seeing 
them  should  help  most  towards  defraying  the 
expenses.  This  is  nevertheless  overdone.  The 
visitor  has  to  pay  three  shillings,  both  for  himself 
and  for  his  guide  ; and  to  demand  of  him  another 
two  guineas,  should  he  take  his  guide  with  him, 
is  excessive. 

A\'hat  I personally  resented  still  more  was 
that  each  time  1 wished  to  paint  in  any  of  the 
enclosures,  the  same  charges  as  for  a first  visit 
were  necessary.  I had  been  informed  that  a five- 
yen  ticket  was  obtainable,  which  would  permit 
of  my  working  here  every  day  for  a month ; 
nothing,  however,  seemed  known  of  this  when 
we  inquired  at  the  office.  The  official  was  very 
civil,  and  he  told  us  that  a great  many  artists 
painted  at  Nikko,  but  found  their  best  subjects 


238  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE  ; 

just  outside  the  enclosed  parts.  A slight  twinkle 
in  his  eye  seemed  to  suggest  that  the  state  of  the 
artists’  purses  may  have  some  influence  on  the 
choice  of  their  subjects.  As  the  official  was  in 
no  way  responsible  for  the  regulations,  it  was 
useless  to  argue  with  him. 

It  is  a short-sighted  policy,  for  pictorial  repre- 
sentations do  much  to  bring  visitors  to  any  place. 

The  tomb  of  leyasu  is  on  the  hill  above  the 
shrine.  We  pass  through  the  Chinese  Gate  and 

on  our  left — an  altar  and  ! 
the  kagicra-do,  or  dancing-stage — and  we  then  f 
come  to  a door  in  the  gallery  which  fences  off*  V 
this  side  of  the  enclosure.  The  Neinuri  no  Neko,  | 
or  “ Sleeping  Cat,”  of  the  famous  sculptor  Jingord,  \ 
is  pointed  out  to  us.  It  has  been  so  often  re- 
produced and  so  much  talked  about  that  it  may 
disappoint  a good  many,  especially  as  it  is  no 
better  than  so  much  we  have  already  seen.  Pass- 
ing through  the  door,  we  ascend  a zigzag  flight 
of  stone  steps  till  we  reach  a torii  and  yet  another 
shrine,  and  behind  this,  in  a clearing  in  the  wood, 
stands  the  tomb. 

It  is  an  impressive  monument,  and  simplicity 
itself  compared  to  the  highly-decorated  buildings 
we  have  seen.  The  design  is  somewhat  like  a 


between  two  buildings 


NIKKO 


239 


one-storied  pagoda.  As  a bit  of  bronze  casting, 
it  proves  that  Japan  had  nothing  to  learn  from 
Europe  in  that  difficult  art,  for  the  whole  is  done 
in  one  casting.  We  are  told  that  the  light  colour 
of  the  metal  is  owing  to  a good  admixture  of  gold 
in  its  composition.  It  rests  on  a simple  granite 
plinth,  in  front  of  which  stands  a huge  bronze 
incense-burner.  A stork  standing  on  a tortoise 
and  a large  flower-vase,  all  of  the  same  metal, 
are  to  right  and  left  of  the  burner.  A touch  of 
another  colour  is  given  by  the  brass  candlestick 
held  in  the  stork’s  beak  and  the  brass  lotus-flowers 
and  leaves  which  rise  out  of  the  vase.  A plain 
stone  balustrade  encloses  the  monument,  to 
which  access  is  given  through  a handsome  bronze 
doorway. 

The  tomb  is  a costly  one,  and  it  is  in  good 
taste.  Its  contrasting  simplicity  to  the  gorgeous- 
ness of  all  the  other  structures  in  the  mausoleum 
suggests,  nevertheless,  a mock  humility  on  the 
part  of  the  Shogun.  “Is  not  everything  else  in 
honour  of  the  gods  and  of  his  patron  saint  ?”  has 
been  said ; “ whereas  this  is  only  to  commemo- 
rate the  resting-place  of  his  mortal  remains.”  A 
plausible  argument,  though  far  fi-om  expressing 
the  whole  truth.  The  lavish  expense  in  artistic 


240  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


production  and  in  material,  as  well  as  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  from  here  to  the  capital,  was 
all  for  the  glorification  of  leyasu  and  the  Toku- 
gawa  Dynasty,  of  which  he  was  the  founder. 
The  Mikados,  though  of  heavenly  descent  and 
the  nominal  rulers  of  the  empire,  were  laid  to 
rest  in  humble  surroundings  compared  to  the 
mausolea  of  the  powerful  Shoguns  of  this  dynasty. 


CHAPTER  XVIIl 


NiKKo  {continued) 


E hear  little  of  leyasu’s  son  who  succeeded 


him  in  the  Shogunate.  Were  it  not  for 
his  splendid  tomb  at  Tokyo,  most  people  would 
not  even  know  his  name. 

leyasu  made  Yedo  his  capital.  It  was  then 
only  a humble  fishing  village,  but  it  soon  grew  in 
importance,  and  its  population  eclipsed  that  of 
Kyoto  at  the  time  of  the  revolution,  from  which 
date  its  name  has  been  changed  to  Tokyo.  Hide- 
tada,  the  next  in  succession,  was  buried  at  Shiba 
in  the  new  capital.  His  famous  son  lemitsu  was 
deemed  worthy  at  his  death  to  lie  near  his  grand- 
father, and  in  1650,  when  he  died,  his  remains 
were  brought  to  Nikko. 

The  wide  avenue  which  forms  the  approach  to 
his  tomb  is  the  subject  of  the  illustration. 

The  red-lacquered  shrine  on  the  left  is  one  of 
the  Fiitatso-do,  or  the  two  temples  which  are  con- 
nected with  a gallery.  It  is  said  that  the  bones 
16  241 


242  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


of  Yoritomo  are  preserved  here.  As  the  same 
thing  is  said  of  a temple  at  Kamakura,  our 
doubts  may  be  pardoned. 

The  gate  at  the  top  of  the  stone  steps  is  the 
entrance  to  lemitsu’s  mausoleum.  It  is  similar 
in  design  to  the  first  gate  of  leyasu’s  memorial, 
but  less  ornate.  It  is  dwarfed  by  the  size  of  the 
cryptomerias  which  intervene,  though  it  is  by  no 
means  small  in  itself.  The  pilgrims  and  sight- 
seers who  constantly  pass  up  and  down  the  steps 
serve  to  scale  it,  and  they  and  their  picturesque 
attire  add  greatly  to  the  subjects. 

Were  all  that  is  connected  with  lemitsu  the 
only  architectural  attractions  here,  Nikko  would 
still  well  repay  a visit.  As  it  is,  it  is  over- 
shadowed by  the  splendours  of  leyasu’s  mauso- 
leum. Most  of  the  features  of  the  latter  are  here, 
but  on  a lesser  scale. 

It  was  cold  work  painting  this  gate,  screened 
as  I was  from  the  sun,  but  not  from  the  chilly 
winds  which  blew. 

We  were  not  half-way  through  October.  The 
two  thousand  feet  we  were  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  the  close  proximity  to  the  snow  covering 
the  mountain-tops,  made  me  doubtful  as  to  whether 
I could  work  a month  here  as  weU  as  a few  days 


NIKKO 


243 


at  Chuzenji,  which  lies  two  thousand  five  hundred 
feet  higher. 

Miss  Crauford,  whom  I had  met  at  Hakone, 
was  here  also.  She  painted  the  same  subject 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  where  she 
got  the  benefit  of  the  sun  and  a certain  shelter 
from  the  wind.  I thought  I liked  my  view  the 
best ; I nevertheless  envied  her  her  point  of 
vantage.  On  a bright  day  the  contrast  between 
the  sun  and  shade  was  striking. 

I procured  some  little  stoves  which  the  Japanese 
women  put  in  their  sleeves  and  obi.  They  are 
small  enough  to  push  up  the  sleeve  of  a coat,  and 
the  slow-burning  fuse  which  they  hold  will  keep 
alight  for  four  or  five  hours.  This  species  of 
muff-warmer  must  be  in  great  demand  during 
the  cold  weather,  for  it  is  procurable  in  most 
villages,  and  costs  about  a penny,  the  fuel  being 
proportionately  cheap. 

Before  I could  finish  my  drawing,  1 had  found 
a place  for  a stove  under  my  waistcoat,  I had 
stuffed  one  in  each  sock,  and  had  a stove  under 
each  foot.  At  Chuzenji,  later  on,  I was  like  a 
mo\’ing  ironmonger’s  shop. 

My  preparations  against  the  cold  seemed  to 
cause  no  inconsiderable  amusement  to  the  maids 


244  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


at  the  hotel,  who  take  that  “ kindly  interest  ” of 
which  we  have  heard  in  all  the  doings  of  the 
guests. 

Amongst  the  many  minor  objects  of  interest, 
I saw  many  subjects  which  lent  themselves  more 
to  pictorial  treatment  than  do  the  noted  sights  of 
Nikko.  I realized  after  a while  that  it  was  not 
only  the  fees  which  induced  the  artists  to  choose 
their  subjects  outside  the  mausolea  enclosures. 

A path  through  the  woods  on  the  north  side 
of  the  temples  leads  to  one  of  the  many  water- 
falls abounding  in  this  neighbourhood.  There 
are  subjects  enough  in  this  walk  of  half  an  hour 
to  furnish  an  artist  with  material  for  a long 
summer’s  sojourn.  We  pass  several  modest 
shrines,  which  are  more  sketchable  than  the  well- 
kept  and  elaborate  temples  in  the  enclosures. 
Moss-covered  stone  lanterns  stand  between  the 
cryptomerias,  which  partly  line  each  side  of  the 
path,  and  suggest  that  the  latter  was  once  a 
stately  avenue. 

A long  and  winding  flight  of  stone  steps 
ascends  a hill,  and  leads  to  a disused  and  partly 
ruined  temple.  From  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
steps  the  waterfall  is  seen  through  the  branches 
of  the  trees,  and  when  the  plateau  on  which  the 


NIKKO 


245 


temple  stands  is  reached,  we  find  ourselves 
on  the  level  fi’om  which  the  roaring  cascade 
falls. 

The  priest’s  dwellings  are  in  little  better  repair 
than  the  temple.  An  aged  wood-cutter  lived  a 
hermit  life  in  one  of  the  buildings.  He  seemed 
pleased  to  see  us,  and  gave  us  some  tea.  He 
showed  us  his  stock  of  abnormal  growths  which 
he  had  fashioned  into  flower- vases,  tobacco- pots, 
walking-sticks,  and  what  not.  He  was  able  to 
tell  us  of  the  days  before  Buddhism  was  dis- 
established, when  services  were  still  held  in 
the  temple.  W e had  several  occasions  to  call  on 
the  old  man,  and  his  hot  tea  was  more  than 
welcome  after  a long  sit  near  the  chilly  waterfall. 
The  climb  up  to  his  house  was  as  warming  as 
his  tea. 

The  whine  and  grumble  so  often  heard  among 
the  aged  poor  nearer  home  is  rarely  met  with  in 
Japan,  and  this  old  man  would  never  be  likely  to 
throw  out  a hint  that  he  was  in  want.  We 
could  make  some  return  for  the  trouble  he  might 
have  been  put  to  by  buying  an  example  of  his 
quaint  collection,  but  he  did  not  bring  them 
forward  with  this  object  in  view,  for  it  was  we 
who  asked  to  see  them. 


246  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


The  behaviour  of  the  humbler  classes  has 
doubtless  changed  for  the  worse  in  the  towns 
adjoining  the  foreign  settlements.  The  foreigner  f 
naturally  comes  most  in  contact  with  those  who  ’ 
live  nearest  to  him  and  whom  he  employs,  and 
he  has  them  in  his  mind  when  he  sneers  about 
“ Oriental  politeness.”  The  nicest  Japanese 
whom  I have  met  were  those  who  had  not  had 
their  courtly  manners  spoilt  by  contact  with  the 
nations  of  the  West. 

Let  us  return  to  the  waterfall,  warmed  by  our 
tea  and  our  talk  'wdth  the  cheery  old  hermit,  who 
has  passed  his  life  within  the  sound  of  the  rushing 
waters. 

On  a ledge  of  rock  projecting  from  the  lower 
part  of  the  waterfall,  a quaint  image  of  a god  is 
seated.  He  holds  an  iron  sword  in  his  right 
hand  ; the  weapon  is  nearly  rusted  through,  and  t 
the  top  part  sways  to  and  fro  from  the  draught 
caused  by  the  fall  of  water.  The  outlines  of  I 
flames  are  just  discernible  on  the  stone  backing  | 
of  the  image.  His  original  ferocious  expression 
has  been  a good  deal  modified  by  the  mosses 
which  have  taken  root  in  his  open  mouth  and 
have  choked  up  his  distended  nostrils. 

The  G.P.F.  thinks  that  it  is  Fudo,  but  as  my 


KUDO 


NIKKO 


247 


friend  is  rather  uncertain  about  his  gods,  he 
consults  our  old  friend  the  hermit.  “ Yes,  it  is 
Fudo,  the  God  of  Fire,”  he  afterwards  assures 
me  ; but  why  and  by  whom  he  was  placed  in 
I such  a damp  situation  is  more  than  we  can  find 
out.  That  it  might  have  been  deemed  a safe  place 
in  which  to  put  this  fiery  old  gentleman  suggested 
I itself  to  me  ; yet  it  seems  hardly  conceivable  that 
such  disrespect  to  a god  would  be  tolerated. 

According  to  Monier  Williams,  Fudo  means 
“ The  Immovable,”  and  it  is  one  of  the  names  of 
the  Brahminical  God  Siva ; while  Satow  identifies 
him  with  Dainichi,  the  God  of  Wisdom,  which 
(juality  is  symbolized  by  the  flames  which  sur- 
round him. 

Water  is  no  respecter  of  persons  or  of  stone 
gods.  It  squirts  and  splashes  over  and  around 
the  image,  trickles  down  the  flames,  and  hangs  in 
drops  from  the  nose.  A water-wagtail  tries  the 
head  as  a resting-place,  till  a puff*  of  wind  sends 
the  spray  that  way,  and  he  flies  off. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Nikko  abounds  in 
waterfalls,  and  many  are  very  much  more 
imposing.  But  the  image  gives  this  one  a kind 
of  human  interest,  and  tempts  me  to  try  my 
hand  at  a waterfall  for  the  first  time. 


248  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


On  our  return  to  the  village  we  saw  some  men 
putting  up  a triumphal  arch  at  the  bottom  of 
the  drive  of  the  principal  European  hotel. 
Others  were  fixing  flag-posts,  and  from  the 
general  interest  the  villagers  were  taking  in  the 
proceedings,  it  was  evident  that  something 
unusual  was  going  to  happen. 

The  autumn  manoeuvres  were  taking  place 
some  twenty  miles  from  Nikko,  and  I had  heard 
that  the  Emperor  was  attending  them.  Could  it 
be  he  that  was  coming  ? I asked  Mr.  Tsuda  to 
find  out,  and  imagine  my  surprise  when  I was 
told  that  Lord  Kitchener  was  expected  to  arrive 
on  the  following  day  ! 

It  was  long  since  I had  seen  a newspaper,  and 
1 had  an  idea  that  his  lordship  was  in  Australia. 
Great  preparations  were  also  going  on  at  our 
hotel ; in  two  or  three  places  a half-dozen  rooms 
were  turned  into  one.  The  six-  and  eight-mat 
compartments  soon  became  a forty-mat  dormitory 
by  shifting  the  screens  out  of  the  grooves.  A 
guard  of  honour  of  a hundred  men  were  mostly 
to  be  quartered  at  the  Konishi-ya,  besides  several 
officers.  I expected  to  be  kept  awake  half  the 
night  by  the  noise,  for  the  soldiers  were  to  arrive 
that  same  evening. 


NIKKO 


249 


My  fears,  however,  were  groundless,  for  I have 
never  come  across  better-behaved  men  in  my  life. 
When  they  had  been  assigned  their  quarters, 
they  were  told  off  in  batches  of  fifteen  to  the 
bathroom.  As  only  four  can  squeeze  into  the 
hot  bath  at  the  same  time,  I do  not  know  how 
they  managed  it.  The  bath- man  informed  us 
the  next  day  that,  although  tliere  w’^ere  sixty 
men,  it  was  so  arranged  that  everyone  had  his 
proper  share.  I felt  sony  for  the  last  batch, 
'rhe  men  may  be  fairly  clean  before  the  hot 
soak,  but  sixty  men  is  a lot ! They  supped  and 
slept  in  a wing  of  the  inn  other  than  the  one 
we  were  in,  and  the  officers  occupied  the  adjoin- 
ing rooms  to  mine.  By  ten  o’clock  there  was 
not  a sound  to  be  heard,  except  the  sugges- 
tion of  a snore  from  the  otlier  side  of  the 
partition. 

Lord  Kitchener  was  to  spend  the  best  part 
of  the  w'eek  at  the  Kanaya  Hotel,  and  take  the 
train  daily  down  to  Utsonomiya,  near  which 
station  the  manoeuvres  w'ere  being  held.  The 
guard  of  honour  remained  at  Xikko  to  escort 
him  to  and  from  the  station. 

Mr.  Tsuda  was  asked  by  one  of  the  officers 
if  a call  on  me  would  be  welcome,  and  accordingly 


250  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


I had  a very  pleasant  evening  visit  from  Lieu- 
tenant Katayama.  He  had  served  in  the  late 
war,  as  well  as  in  the  one  with  China.  He 
seemed  inclined  to  tell  me  of  some  of  his  ex- 
periences, but  unfortunately  the  amount  of 
French  he  spoke  was  not  sufficient  to  make 
him  quite  intelligible.  He  would  take  nothing 
to  drink  but  tea,  and  as  far  as  I could  gather 
none  of  the  men  under  his  command  took  any- 
thing stronger. 

Imagine  the  landlord  of  any  licensed  estabhsh- 
ment  in  Europe  having  sixty  soldiers  quartered 
on  him  and  doing  no  business  at  his  bar  ! 

Lord  Kitchener  arrived  at  noon  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  We  saw  some  hundreds  of  school- 
children — each  one  carrying  a little  flag — march 
down  to  the  station  to  sing  a welcoming  ode. 
A servant  closed  the  slwji  while  we  were  at 
lunch,  and  hearing  the  tramp  of  many  people 
passing  in  the  street  below,  I slid  the  paper- 
slides  back  to  see  the  cortege.  I noticed  that 
every  window  which  faced  the  road  was  closed, 
and  that  not  a balcony  had  a spectator  in  it.  It 
had  the  depressing  effect  of  the  drawn  blinds 
when  a funeral  is  in  progress.  I mentioned  this 
to  the  G.P.F.,  and  was  told  that  when  a very 


NIKKO 


251 


high  personage  passed  officially  along  the  streets 
it  was  not  etiquette  to  look  down  on  him.  I 
hastily  closed  the  shoji,  and  returned  to  my 
lunch. 

I knew  that  this  custom  obtained  when  a 
member  of  the  Imperial  Family  passed  along 
the  streets,  and  I felt  flattered  that  such  an 
honour  should  be  shown  to  a distinguished 
compatriot  of  mine. 

Some  days  later  I heard  that  if  I wished  to 
paint  the  maples  at  Chuzenji  in  the  full  gloiy 
of  their  autumnal  foliage,  there  was  no  time  to 
lose. 

We  engaged  a man  to  carry  our  necessary 
traps,  and  made  an  early  start  for  the  lake.  It 
is  seven  miles  from  Nikkd,  with  a steep  ascent 
during  the  latter  half  of  tlie  walk. 

We  follow  the  course  of  the  Daiya-gawa  till 
we  reach  Uma-gaeshi,  the  village  at  which  most 
people  rest  before  starting  on  the  steep  ascent. 
The  name  Uma-gaeshi  means  literally  “horse 
send  back,”  and  dates  from  the  time  when  there 
was  no  practicable  road,  and  when  visitors  were 
forced  to  do  the  remaining  journey  on  foot. 

As  we  ascend,  the  scenery  becomes  wilder  and 
more  picturesque.  We  use  the  old  footpath, 


252  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


which  is  much  shorter  than  the  new  road.  The 
two  join  occasionally,  and  half-circle  round  the 
side  of  a cliff  overlooking  the  gorge  through 
which  the  Daiya-gawa  rushes. 

The  foliage  of  the  deciduous  trees  was  in  every 
shade  of  warm  colouring,  from  pale  gold  down 
to  a deep  crimson.  The  pines  and  yews  which 
relieved  it  looked  more  sombre  than  ever  in 
their  dark  evergi’een.  We  made  a slight  detour 
to  see  the  Hannya  and  Hodo  cascades. 

A tea-liouse  is  perched  on  the  edge  of  a ravine 
which  commands  the  best  view.  A number  of 
Japanese  tourists  were  here,  who,  like  ourselves, 
were  on  their  way  to  see  the  maples  at  Chuzenji. 
Many  of  them  had  cameras,  and  were  photo- 
graphing the  cascades. 

The  Hannya  falls  gracefully  from  a ledge  of 
rock,  which  is  lost  on  both  sides  and  overhead  in 
dense  masses  of  maples.  The  stream  at  its  base 
is  lost  and  found  among  the  boulders,  and  comes 
swirling  and  splashing  in  a serpentine  line  to 
beneath  the  stage  from  which  we  see  it. 

Nature  seemed  bent  on  showing  that  she  had 
a reserve  of  colour  which  could,  when  she  was  in 
the  mood,  put  to  shame  the  hues  of  the  Nikko 
shrines  we  had  left. 


NIKKO 


253 


We  continued  our  journey  till  we  reached 
another  tea-house,  placed  at  the  edge  of  a cliff 
overlooking  the  Daiya-gawa.  The  air  was  too 
, chilly  for  us  to  enjoy  the  wild  scenery  for  long. 

I The  great  sight  on  the  w^ay  to  the  lake  was  still 

I before  us. 

I After  ascending  to  the  level  of  Chuzenji,  and 
I a little  before  reaching  it,  we  saw  a finger-post 
directing  us  to  the  Kegon-no-taki  waterfall.  A 
steep  path  winds  down  among  the  cliffs  till  it 
nearly  reaches  the  bed  of  the  torrent.  A wooden 
bridge  here  crosses  the  base  of  another  waterfall, 
called  Shirakuino,  meaning  the  “ white  cloud.” 
It  is  a long  bridge  and  a slippery  one,  but  we 
must  hasten  to  cross  it,  or  we  shall  be  drenched 
by  the  spray  from  the  fiilling  water.  We  skirt 
round  the  edge  of  another  cliff,  and  descend  to  a 
little  tea-house  placed  in  full  view  of  Kegon,  the 
grandest  fall  of  water  in  this  part  of  Japan. 

It  is  the  chief  outlet  of  Chuzenji  Lake,  and  the 
main  source  of  the  river  near  whose  course  we 
had  been  ascending  since  we  left  Nikko.  From  a 
narrow  cleft  in  the  overhanging  rocks  it  bursts  forth 
in  an  unbroken  cascade  till  it  dashes  into  the  bed 
of  the  torrent,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below. 

We  can  hardly  hear  ourselves  speak  for  the 


254  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


roar,  and  it  is  as  well,  for  comments  are  super- 
fluous, if  not  jarring,  when  face  to  face  with 
Nature  in  her  most  awe-striking  aspects. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a more  de- 
lightful place  in  which  to  spend  the  hot  summer 
months  than  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Chuzenji. 

The  brilliancy  of  the  colouring  we  now  saw 
would,  of  course,  be  absent,  but  for  a prolonged 
stay  the  quieter  hues  of  summer  would  be  more 
restful.  The  gorgeous  display  of  late  October  is 
as  short  a period  in  the  course  of  the  year  as  that 
of  the  sunset  to  the  day  which  it  closes.  No  one 
would  wish  to  live  where  the  sun  was  always 
setting,  and  he  would  cease  to  enjoy  the  beauty 
of  the  fall  were  it  of  a longer  duration. 

We  had  not  arrived  a day  too  soon.  On  the 
more  exposed  mountain-sides  the  fi’osts  had 
already  shrivelled  up  the  leav’^es  of  the  maples 
and  turned  their  crimson  to  a rusty  browm.  On 
the  southern  slopes  of  Nantai-zan,  which  rises 
four  thousand  feet  above  the  lake,  the  trees  which 
clothe  them  were  still  in  their  full  splendour. 

It  was  bitterly  cold,  yet  I could  not  let  this 
opportunity  slip  without  attempting  some  record 
of  what  I saw. 

]\Iy  subject  was  in  the  lane  leading  to  Yumoto, 


NIKKO 


255 


a village  situated  on  the  shore  of  a smaller  lake 
some  five  miles  north  of  Chuzenji. 

But  for  the  provision  of  muff-warmers  which 
I had  brought  from  Nikko,  work  would  have 
been  impossible. 

The  maples  were  not  plentiful  just  here  ; a 
gi’oup  of  trees  which  I can  only  remember  as 
having  silvery  trunks  and  limbs,  seen  here  and 
there  amongst  a mass  of  golden  foliage,  was  the 
chief  thing  of  beauty  which  I attempted  to  por- 
tray in  the  illustration  which  accompanies  this. 

The  inn  where  we  stayed  was  on  the  edge  of 
the  lake  ; we  liad  come  with  a letter  of  introduc- 
tion from  the  landlord  of  our  Nikko  hotel,  a 
custom  which  prevails  in  Japan. 

Foreigners  travelling  without  a guide,  and 
frequenting  native  inns,  are  much  helped  by  this 
custom  when  their  knowledge  of  the  language  is 
very  limited.  It  not  only  assures  them  of  a good 
welcome,  but  also  states  their  requirements. 

The  rain  held  off  during  our  three  days’  stay 
at  Chuzenji,  and  I was  able  to  get  another  study 
near  the  Kegon  Falls,  where  the  crimson  maples 
were  the  chief  object. 

Our  return  journey  to  Nikko  was  as  delightful 
as  our  ascent  to  Chuzenji  had  been.  While  rest- 


256  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


ing  at  a tea-house  in  one  of  the  villages  on  our 
way,  two  Americans  passed  who  were  distribut- 
ing tracts  to  the  villagers.  A child  who  had 
picked  up  a couple  gave  one  to  Mr.  Tsuda,  and 
I asked  him  to  translate  some  of  the  contents 
to  me. 

It  was  a translation  into  Japanese  of  the 
ordinary  evangelical  tract  met  with  at  home.  It 
would  appear  as  strange  and  incomprehensible  to 
the  Japanese  peasant  as  an  Enghsh  translation 
of  a Buddhist  sutra  would  appear  to  a peasant 
at  home. 

Fortunately,  the  advice  sent  from  home  and 
posted  up  in  flaming  advertisements  to  drink  So- 
and-so’s  whisky  and  no  other  is  as  little  heeded 
by  the  country-folk  as  are  the  tracts  which  well- 
meaning  people  distribute. 

Japan  has  learnt  much  from  Europe,  but 
should  her  people  learn  to  poison  themselves 
with  the  spirits  Europe  tries  to  foist  on  her, 
Japan  will  be  wise  enough  to  clap  such  a duty  on 
alcohol  as  to  make  its  sale  an  impossibihty. 

We  spent  some  delightful  days  in  the  garden 
of  a priest  after  our  return  to  Nikko.  It  was 
one  of  those  small  rock-gardens  which  none  but 
the  Japanese  know  how  to  make  beautiful  at  a 


AUTUMN  FOUAGK 


NIKKO 


257 


slight  cost  — some  careful  planning  at  first  so  as 
to  obtain  a well-composed  view  from  the  veranda 
of  the  dwelling-house,  and  then  Nature  is  left  to 
do  the  rest.  Such  gardens  could  only  have 
evolved  in  a mountainous  country  with  an  abun- 
dance of  streams  and  a warm,  moist  summer  to 
further  the  growth  of  the  shrubs,  added  to  the 
keen  iesthetic  sense  of  its  people. 

I was  protected  from  the  rain  by  the  veranda, 
and  to  a certain  extent  from  the  cold  by  the 
kind  attentions  of  the  priest’s  old  housekeeper, 
who  placed  a charcoal  brazier  next  to  me,  and 
had  some  hot  tea  always  going. 

The  perpetual  tea-drinking  in  Japan  does  not 
have  the  deleterious  effects  one  might  expect. 
The  hot  water  is  never  allowed  to  stand  long  on 
the  leaves,  and  the  tea  is  taken  sufficiently  weak 
barely  to  colour  the  water.  It  is  also  taken  with- 
out milk  or  sugar,  and  quenches  the  thirst  more 
readily  than  would  sweet  drinks.  The  tea  is 
j green,  and  differs  in  flavour  from  that  of  China  or 
India.  Europeans  do  not  at  first  like  it,  but  if 
, they  once  acquire  the  taste,  they  take  to  it  very 
readily. 

'i  I left  Nikko  with  great  regret.  Its  name  is 
not  harmonious,  but  it  recalls  all  that  is  most 
17 


258  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


beautiful  and  harmonious  in  the  Far  East.  Of 
things  seen,  the  gem-like  temple  buildings,  over- 
shadowed by  the  giant  cryptomerias,  hold  the 
first  place  in  my  memory  ; the  kindly  welcome 
of  the  priest  and  his  elderly  housekeeper  to  their 
modest  dwelling,  the  simple  hospitality  of  the 
old  hermit  near  the  waterfall,  as  well  as  the 
attention  to  our  needs  cheerily  given  by  those  at 
our  inn,  will  all  retain  a warm  place  in  my  heart 
when  the  memory  of  thmgs  seen  may  become 
dimmed  by  lapse  of  time. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


TOKYO 


HE  chrysanthemum  more  than  the  cold 


weather  induced  me  to  descend  to  the  plains 
and  take  up  my  abode  at  Tokyo. 

My  friend  Mr.  Kanocogni  had  recommended 
me  to  a Japanese  hotel  not  far  from  the  centre  of 
the  town,  yet  well  cut  off  from  the  noise  and 
bustle  of  a busy  capital.  The  Take-shiba  over- 
looks Tokyo  Bay ; it  has  a large  garden  of  its 
own,  and  the  trees  of  its  neighbours  giv^e  it  a 
seclusion  rarely  found  in  a large  eity. 

The  garden  also  had  the  ehrysanthemums  of 
which  I was  in  need. 

Such  inns  as  these  do  not  advertise,  as  in 
Europe,  but  depend  on  eustom  through  the  re- 
eommendation  of  previous  guests.  It  is  not  only 
recommended  to  the  would-be  guest,  but  he  is 
also  recommended  to  the  landlord.  In  the  case  of 
foreigners  this  is  very  important,  for  their  usual 
inability  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  Japanese 


259 


260  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


mode  of  living  is  liable  to  give  the  landlord  a 
good  deal  of  trouble,  and  may  induce  him  to  say 
that  he  has  no  vacant  rooms. 

Our  room  led  out  into  the  garden  and  over- 
looked the  bay  beyond ; it  got  all  the  sun,  and 
was  sheltered  from  the  cold  winds  by  a projecting 
wing  of  the  house. 

November  in  Japan  is  usually  the  sunniest 
month  of  the  year.  As  if  to  make  up  for  an 
excessively  wet  summer,  we  had  sunshine  during 
nearly  the  whole  of  this  and  the  following 
month. 

I had  seen  Tokyo  in  dirty  weather  during  the 
two  or  three  days  spent  there  on  my  way  to 
Nikko,  and,  owing  to  its  low  situation  and 
heavy  soil,  the  mud  in  the  streets  was  inde- 
scribable. 

Tokyo  had  now  dried  up,  and  it  was  possible 
to  walk  about  the  streets  with  pleasure  without 
the  highly-raised  clogs  the  natives  wear.  A 
system  of  tramways  takes  away  from  the  old- 
world  look  which  is  the  charm  of  Kyoto,  but  as 
the  distances  are  very  great,  the  rapid  locomotion 
is  a convenience  of  which  I availed  myself  con- 
siderably. 

I’he  city  is  roughly  a hundred  square  miles  in 


TOKYO 


261 


extent ; and  Asakusa  and  Mukojima,  where  1 
found  my  chief  subjects,  are  about  seven  and 
eight  miles  from  our  hotel. 

I started  on  the  chrysanthemums  in  the  hotel 
garden  at  once,  and  Mr.  Tsuda  explored  the 
neighbourhood  for  places  where  these  flowers 
could  be  seen  in  masses  and  painted  with  con- 
venience. 

Chrysanthemum  shows  were  advertised,  and  it 
was  a great  pleasure  to  attend  them.  The  crowds 
of  people  made  it  impossible  to  work  there,  and 
arranged,  as  the  plants  were,  in  rows  and  under 
temporary  sheds,  they  were  not  as  pictorial  as 
when  growing  in  the  gardens. 

I got  what  I wanted  as  an  illustration  for  this 
book  without  leaving  my  hotel,  and  the  G.P.F. 
discovered  a delightful  tea-garden  in  the  suburb 
of  Mukojima  which  will  serve  as  an  illustration 
to  “ .Japanese  Gardens.” 

Cut  flowers  were  in  evidence  everywhere,  and 
for  a trifling  sum  it  was  possible  to  have  a grand 
display  in  the  takemona.  Chrysanthemums  were 
to  be  seen  in  vases  in  most  of  the  shops,  and  in 
pots  in  the  porches  or  under  the  verandas  of 
most  of  the  private  houses.  It  was  at  JVIukojima 
that  we  found  the  florist’s  gardens  and  tea-houses 


262  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


where  I could  paint  these  charming  flowers  in 
comfort  and  amidst  suitable  surroundings. 

A tramway  runs  the  whole  distance  from  the 
Shiba  district  to  Asakusa,  and  from  thence  we 
take  a ferry  which  crosses  the  Sumida-gawa,  and 
lands  us  a mile  or  more  up  the  stream.  On  the 
south  or  ]\Iukojima  side  there  is  an  avenue  of 
cherry-trees  two  miles  long  on  the  river  embank- 
ment. When  they  are  in  blossom,  thousands  of 
people  come  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  sight. 

The  chrysanthemum  gardens  do  not  attract 
such  numbers,  for  the  great  shows  are  then  going 
on  more  in  the  centre  of  the  city. 

The  Shakwa  Garden  attracted  me  the  most. 
It  is  a combination  of  tea-garden  and  that  of  a 
nurseryman  and  florist.  The  deciduous  trees  had 
mostly  shed  their  leaves,  but  there  were  sufficient 
fine  old  evergreens  to  prevent  the  dreariness  of 
many  gardens  in  the  late  autumn.  The  masses 
of  chrysanthemums  in  beds,  in  pots,  and  the  more 
delicate  kinds  sheltered  under  thatch -covered 
roofs,  were,  of  course,  the  chief  attraction. 

The  marvellous  developments  of  that  flower 
were  not  to  be  seen  here,  as  they  are  in  the 
shows  at  Dango-zaka  and  at  Asakusa,  but  there 
were  quite  enough  for  my  purpose. 


TOKYO 


263 


I 

i; 


The  proprietor  was  as  obliging  as  I usually 
found  most  of  the  owners  of  gardens.  He  would 
have  a table  placed  wherever  I wished  to  paint, 
and  I could  keep  my  feet  from  the  damp  by  sitting 
on  it.  A charcoal  brazier  was  also  a w'elcome 
companion.  He  showed  me  with  great  pride  the 
signature  of  Mr.  Taft,  now  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  also  some  lines  dedicated  to 
the  kiku  (chrysanthemum)  which  that  statesman 
had  written.  He  had  cut  this  out  of  his  visitors’ 
book  and  framed  it.  Mr.  Tsuda  must,  I fear, 
have  greatly  exaggerated  my  reputation  as  an 
artist,  for  I was  also  asked  for  my  signature  and 
a laudatory  word  or  two  about  his  garden. 

Mukojima  is  as  unlike  an  ordinary  suburb  of  a 
great  city  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  It  lies 
very  low,  and  is  not  considered  sanitary,  for  the 
rents  of  the  small  houses  are  as  low  as  the  situa- 
tion. It  reminded  me  of  the  outskirts  of  some 
Dutch  towns,  from  the  number  of  ditches  on  the 
sides  of  the  roads  and  the  little  bridges  and  gates 
that  give  access  to  the  garden  patches  in  front  of 
the  houses.  The  hedges  are  trimmed  and  ever- 
greens are  cut  into  shapes,  as  is  also  seen  in 
Holland.  The  houses  themselves  are,  of  course, 
quite  different,  being  entirely  constructed  of 


264  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


wood,  save  the  dark-grey  tiled  roofs.  I was 
told  that  the  rents  of  a great  number  were  a 
shilling  and  less  per  week. 

There  are  some  quaint  little  restaurants  in  this 
suburb,  some  of  which  are  noted  for  a particular 
dish.  The  well-to-do  of  Tokyo  often  partake  of 
them  when  a floral  attraction  brings  them  this  way. 

We  tried  most  of  the  eating-houses,  as  it  was 
too  far  to  return  to  our  hotel.  Some  are  built  on 
piles  driven  into  a pond  they  overlook.  Goldfish 
will  collect  near  the  staging,  when  guests  appear, 
for  the  crumbs  which  may  drop  from  their  six- 
inch  tables.  A crane  will  stand  at  the  edge  of  the 
water  casting  an  envious  eye  on  the  perforated 
eel-tub  lashed  to  one  of  the  piles.  Distorted  pine- 
trees  and  azalea-bushes,growingamongst  the  rock- 
work,  fringe  the  sides  opposite  the  building. 

Where  circumstances  allow,  stone  lanterns  or 
a bronze  water-basin  add  to  the  decoration. 

Sakana-no-tempura  and  unagi-meshi  are  dishes 
which  can  usually  be  obtained,  and  they  are  both 
dishes  to  be  remembered.  The  first  is  a kind  of 
fish-fritter — often  crayfish  and  praams  similarly 
treated — and  the  second  is  stewed  eels  in  layers 
of  rice  and  flavoured  with  soyu,  the  favourite 
Japanese  sauce.  The  latter  dish  is  often  served 


('IIRYSANTIIKMUMij 


TOKYO 


265 


in  a lacquer  box,  delicately  fashioned  and  in  shape 
I like  a lady’s  glove-box. 

There  was  one  restaurant  where  food  was 
i especially  prepared  for  the  followers  of  a certain 
Buddhist  sect,  and  where  not  even  fish  was  allowed 
in  their  diet.  We  did  not  patronize  it,  as  w^e 
w'anted  something  more  sustaining  than  lotus- 
^ roots  and  bamboo-shoots.  I seemed  to  get  on 
very  well  without  meat ; but  w'here  eggs  are 
little  used,  and  milk  and  butter  never,  fish  as  a 
substitute  for  flesh  seems  indicated. 

Beef  is  now^  to  be  had  in  purely  Japanese  eat- 
ing-houses in  most  centres.  It  had  not  yet 
reached  Mukojima. 

We  went  often  to  Asakusa,  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  picturesque  districts  of  Tokyo,  for 
before  we  had  seen  the  last  of  the  chrysanthe- 
mums a subject  there  had  ripened,  and  at  all 
costs  I had  to  make  an  effort  to  paint  it. 

J’he  great  ?V//o-trees  surrounding  the  temple  of 
Kwannon  had  turned  to  the  golden  splendour 
which  adds  another  attraction  to  this  spot  during 
the  waning  of  the  year. 

Kw'annon’s  shrine  is  the  largest  religious  edifice 
in  the  capital ; it  is  not  gorgeously  decorated,  as 
are  the  temples  of  Nikko,  nor  as  some  others  in 


266  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Tokyo  itself.  It  has  all  the  appearance  of  being 
there  for  the  use  of  the  people,  and  not  of  being 
kept  up  as  a show  place. 

The  17th  and  18th  of  each  month  are  days 
sacred  to  the  goddess  Kwannon,  and  on  those 
days  a fair  is  held  on  the  large  space  between  the 
Nid-mon  and  the  temple  itself.  It  is  picturesque 
beyond  measure.  Stalls,  holding  everything 
which  may  appeal  to  the  tastes  and  purses  of  the 
poorer  classes,  are  rigged  up  between  the  trees 
and  the  enormous  stone  and  bronze  lanterns ; 
conjurers  and  fortune  - tellers  collect  groups 
around  them  ; sellers  of  charms  and  the  icliiko, 
who  professes  to  give  tidings  fi-om  the  dead,  are 
seldom  absent. 

The  fair  not  only  invades  the  precincts,  but 
encroaches  beneath  the  colonnade  that  surrounds 
the  sanctuary  in  the  temple  itself.  The  doves, 
which  flutter  fearlessly  amongst  the  crowds 
outside,  seem  quite  at  home  in  Kwannon’s 
shrine. 

Where  to  find  a spot  from  which  to  paint  this 
exciting  subject  was  a matter  of  a good  deal  of 
consideration. 

The  Nio-mon,  as  the  gate  which  gives  access 
to  the  precincts  is  called,  furnished  me  with  a 


TOKYO 


267 


perch  from  which  I could  see  over  the  heads  of 
the  people. 

The  terror-striking  beings  who  occupy  niches 
on  each  side  of  the  entrance  have  fortunately 
here  a short  flight  of  wooden  steps  leading  up  to 
their  enclosures.  From  this  point  of  vantage 
I was  enabled  to  make  the  drawing  which 
serves  as  an  illustration  to  this  book. 

I had  to  choose  a day  when  the  fair  was  not 
on,  for  the  booths  then  blocked  out  too  much 
of  my  subject.  Ordinary  days  are,  however, 
sufficiently  animated  for  what  I wanted. 

Asakusa  is  little  affected  by  the  modern 
innovations  which  obtrude  in  other  parts  of 
Tokyo.  It  is  easy  to  picture  the  scenes  which 
Mitford  laid  here  in  his  “ Story  of  the  Otokodate 
of  Yedo.”  Wandering  about  the  extensive 
grounds  of  the  temple,  we  were  attracted  into 
some  of  the  shows,  which  are  permanent  fixtures. 

We  recognized  scenes  in  some  of  the  other 
“Tales  of  Old  .Japan”  which  Mitford  has  so 
vividly  portrayed.  AVe  witnessed  “ The  Yampire 
Cat  of  Nabc^shima,”  performed  by  marionettes  ; 
and  though  this  tale  is  as  well  known  in  .Japan 
as  “ Cinderella  ” is  with  us,  it  was  interesting  to 
see  how  the  crow'd  of  onlookers  w'ere  moved  by  it. 


268  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


We  were  here  amongst  the  humbler  classes, 
who,  as  everywhere  else,  give  more  expression  to 
their  emotions.  The  official  Japanese,  as  well  as 
all  the  more  educated,  have  learnt  to  disguise 
their  innermost  feelings  to  the  extent  that 
inscrutability  is  one  of  their  chief  characteristics. 

AVithin  a short  distance  of  the  Kwannon  a 
great  show  of  chrysanthemums  was  now  being 
held.  There  was  a great  display  of  flowers,  and 
it  was  a very  pretty  sight,  but  I saw  no  varieties 
which  I had  not  seen  in  England.  Adjoining 
the  open  space  where  the  long  sheds  of  flowers 
are,  stands  a great  dome-shaped  building,  and, 
follovdng  the  crowd  into  it,  we  beheld  a most 
extraordinary  series  of  flower-tableaux.  Life- 
sized  figures  and  animals  representing  scenes 
from  well-known  legends  were  entirely  made 
up  of  chrysanthemums,  except  the  masks  of 
the  faces,  which  were  of  wax  or  some  other 
material. 

Milhons  of  buds  had  been  wired  together  to 
imitate  the  colour  and  pattern  of  the  robes  of  the 
personages ; not  only  these,  but  the  trees  and 
rocks  and  all  the  practicable  furniture  of  the 
stage  was  made  up  of  the  same  flowers. 

It  was  very  quaint  and  interesting,  but  hardly 


TOKYO  269 

repaid  the  infinite  labour  involved  in  its  pro- 
duction. 

I did  not  go  to  the  Imperial  garden-party 
which  takes  place  while  the  chrysanthemum  is  in 
season. 

A frock-coat  and  tall  hat  are  dc  rigueur,  and 
to  travel  about  in  Japan  with  such  useless  encum- 
brances is  not  to  be  thought  of.  It  is  the  only 
occasion,  happily,  when  Japanese  ladies  wear 
European  dresses.  They  look  charming  in  their 
own  national  dress,  and  I did  not  wish  to  see 
them  in  ill-fitting  Paris  creations.  Time,  also, 
was  too  pressing,  for  there  was  a rush  of  beautiful 
things  in  November  which  I w^ished  to  paint 
while  they  lasted. 

The  maple  was  turning  to  crimson,  the  golden 
leaves  of  the  icho-txee  had  not  yet  fallen,  and  I 
had  three  chrysanthemum  pictures  on  hand. 

The  former  is  quite  a fortnight  later  than  on 
the  heights  at  Chuzenji. 

People  were  beginning  to  flock  to  Oji  to 
wander  about  the  maple  groves  that  clothe  the 
banks  of  the  Takino-gawa.  The  purity  of  this 
stream  is  unfortunately  somewhat  spoilt  by  some 
unlovely  factories  which  have  of  late  sprung  up. 
Oji  is  also  a great  resort  in  the  spring,  when  the 


270  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


cherry  is  in  bloom,  but  the  smoke  from  the 
neighbouring  mills  robs  it  of  much  of  its  charm. 

Omori  is  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  city,  and 
is  within  easy  reach  of  the  inn  where  w^e  lodged. 
I went  there  once  or  twice  to  make  a study  for 
the  book  on  gardens. 

It  is  an  unfailing  pleasure  in  Japan  to  find  how 
the  people  appreciate  beautiful  nature.  They 
wandered  about  under  these  maples,  taking  in  a 
full  measure  of  the  gorgeous  colour  around  them. 
Strangers  from  a distance  who  visited  the  park 
took  the  opportunity  to  pay  their  respects  to  the 
tombs  of  the  “ Forty-seven  Ronins,”  which  are 
in  the  neighbourhood. 

The  story  of  these  forty-seven  heroes  has  been 
so  admirably  told  by  Lord  Redesdale,  who  wTote 
under  the  name  of  A.  B.  Mitford,  that  1 caimot 
do  better  than  refer  my  readers  to  his  “Tales 
of  Old  Japan.” 

How  they  plotted  during  tw'o  years  to  avenge 
an  insult  to  their  late  master,  knowdng  full  well 
that,  whether  they  succeeded  or  not,  death  was 
in  store  for  them  ; how  they  fulfilled  their  vow ; 
and  how,  having  slain  their  enemy  and  placed  his 
head  on  the  tomb  of  their  lord,  they  committed 
hara-kiri,  in  the  hope  of  bemg  able  to  serve  their 


TOKYO 


271 


master  in  the  spirit- world — this,  and  every 
mcident  of  the  story,  appeals  to  the  imagination 
of  the  people. 

Western  folk  may  admire  the  heroic  devotion 
of  Takumi  no  Kami’s  retainers,  but  some  of  the 
means  they  used  to  attain  their  ends,  as  well  as 
their  self-inflicted  death,  might  not  meet  with 
approval. 

They  hold  a place  in  the  imagination  of  the 
.Japanese  such  as  William  Tell  holds  in  that  of 
the  Swiss. 

They  lie  buried  close  to  the  tomb  of  their 
master  in  a little  fenced-in  graveyard  attached  to 
the  Buddhist  temple  of  Sengakuji.  d'here  is  one 
more  stone  in  the  enclosure  than  those  to  the 
memory  of  Takumi  no  Kami  and  his  forty-seven 
followers,  and  the  story  of  him  who  lies  beneath 
shows  the  veneration  in  which  these  Ronins  were 
held.  One,  known  as  “ the  Satsuma  Man,”  had 
seen  Oishi  Kuranosuke,  the  leader  of  the  band, 
lying  drunk  in  the  streets  of  Kyoto.  “ Faithless 
beast !”  he  said,  “ is  this  the  behaviour  of  a 
Samurai,  to  lead  a life  of  debauchery  while  the 
insult  and  death  of  his  master  is  still  unavenged  ?” 
His  indignation  was  so  great  that  he  spat  in  the 
face  of  the  fallen  man. 


272  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Two  years  later,  when  the  fame  of  the  Forty- 
seven  was  noised  abroad,  the  man  from  Satsuma 
learnt  that  the  life  of  debauchery  which 
Kuranosuke  had  led  was  done  as  a blind  to  put 
his  enemy  off  the  scent  and  make  him  relax  the 
precautions  he  was  taking  against  a reprisal. 

Filled  with  remorse  for  the  insult  he  had  given 
to  so  noble  a man,  he  journeyed  from  Satsuma 
to  T5kyo  to  make  an  atonement  at  Oishi 
Kuranosuke’s  grave. 

Prostrating  himself  before  the  tomb,  he 
humbly  begged  forgiveness  for  the  insult  he  had 
given  under  a misconception,  and,  drawing  his 
dirk,  he  plunged  it  into  his  belly  and  died. 

The  Abbot  of  Sengakuji  buried  the  Satsuma 
man  in  a grave  adjoining  that  of  the  man  in 
whose  honour  he  had  laid  down  his  life. 

In  countries  where  hallowed  ground  is  refused 
to  the  suicide,  such  veneration  for  men  who  take 
their  own  life  is  hard  to  understand.  The  fears 
of  an  awful  hereafter  which  medieval  Christianity 
has  left  in  the  minds  of  most  Western  people  do 
not  exist  here.  Self-destruction  of  those  who 
have  fallen  into  disgrace  is  considered  an  atone- 
ment, and  in  some  cases  it  is  lauded  as  the  most 
praiseworthy  act  the  person  could  commit. 


TOKYO 


273 


I can  refer  those  who  wish  for  more  informa- 
tion on  the  gruesome  subject  of  hara-kiri,  to  the 
concluding  chapter  of  Mitford’s  “ Tales  of  Old 
Japan.”  A Daymio  who  had  given  orders  to 
fire  on  the  European  settlement  at  Kobe  was 
condemned  to  commit  hara-kiri,  and  Lord 
Redesdale,  in  his  then  official  capacity,  had  to 
witness  the  carrying  out  of  the  sentence. 


18 


CHAPTER  XX 


TOKYO  {continued) 

rMHE  landlady  of  the  Tak^-Shiba  interested 
herself  in  a performance  about  to  be  given 
at  one  of  the  leading  theatres  for  some  charitable 
object,  and  asked  me  if  I would  patronize  it.  I 
took  tickets  for  myself  and  Mr.  Tsuda,  and 
regretted  that  time  would  not  allow  me  to 
attend  the  play  until  it  would  be  nearly  over — 
namely,  about  half-past  seven.  “ The  greater 
part  would  certainly  be  over,”  she  said  ; “ but  we 
could  still  see  something,  as  it  went  on  till  ten.” 
The  performance  began  at  two  o’clock,  and  as 
the  piece  was  to  be  the  “ Story  of  the  Forty- 
Seven  Ronins,”  I was  really  sorry  not  to  be  able 
to  see  the  whole  of  it. 

The  landlady  herself  had  taken  tickets  for 
most  of  the  personnel  of  the  hotel,  and  as  there 
were  to  be  a series  of  these  performances,  the 
servants  had  their  treats  on  different  days. 

The  book-keeper,  the  two  maids  who  attended 


TOKYO 


•275 


to  our  room,  and  an  elderly  duenna,  started 
immediately  after  the  midday  rice,  and  took 
provisions  with  them  to  help  them  to  last  out 
the  long  entertainment. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  theatre  after  our 
dinner,  we  found  the  book-keeper  at  the  entrance 
to  receive  us  and  show  us  our  places.  After 
taking  off  our  boots,  we  were  led  into  the 
auditorium,  and  I was  amused  to  find  that  our 
seats  were  on  the  same  mat  and  in  the  same  pen 
as  those  of  the  book-keeper,  the  elderly  duenna, 
and  that  of  Kimi  San  and  Utah  San,  our 
respective  maids. 

All  were  in  their  smartest  kimonos,  had  the 
daintiest  of  fans,  and  an  extra  shine  on  their  jet- 
black  hair.  A tear  which  a touching  part  of 
the  piece  had  brought  to  their  eyes  was  imme- 
diately wiped  away,  and  three  smiling  faces  were 
brought  down  to  the  matting  to  welcome  the 
arrival  of  the  two  guests.  Though  Ronins  were 
just  about  to  be  ordered  to  commit  hara-kiri,  tea 
must  be  prepared  at  once.  I tried  to  assure 
them  that  we  could  easily  wait  for  our  tea  till 
after  the  thrilling  episodes  on  the  stage  were 
over.  I made  a motion  of  committing  hara-kiri 
with  the  end  of  my  pipe-stem  to  emphasize  what 


276  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


I meant,  but  this  started  them  laughing,  as  if 
disembowelling  were  the  greatest  joke  imagin- 
able. Our  neighbours  in  the  adjoining  pens 
seemed  to  think  it  equally  funny. 

1 was  about  the  only  person  in  European  dress 
in  the  theatre,  and  got,  in  consequence,  more 
notice  than  I deserved. 

The  Ronins  did  not  hara-kiri  themselves  on  the 
stage  after  all.  Only  half  the  play  was  given 
when  the  curtain  was  dra^vn ; the  second  half 
was,  presumably,  to  come  off  on  the  following 
day.  A comic  piece,  only  lasting  an  hour,  was 
to  end  the  entertainment. 

The  carpenter  of  Fushimi  (if  I remember  his 
village  rightly)  was  now  to  keep  the  audience  in 
fits  of  laughter.  As  in  Kyoto,  small  boys 
scrambled  up  the  staging  to  stick  their  heads 
under  the  curtain,  so  as  to  lose  nothing  during 
the  interval,  while  tea  and  cakes  were  being 
consumed  by  their  elders  in  the  little  pens  which 
extended  all  over  the  auditorium.  The  tap,  tap 
of  the  little  pipes  as  they  were  emptied  into  the 
bamboo  ash-tray  mingled  with  the  noise  of  the 
scene-shifting. 

All  eyes  were  suddenly  directed  to  the  part  of 
the  house  opposite  the  stage.  The  carpenter 


TOKYO 


277 


of  Fushimi  was  entering  by  the  bridge  which 
crosses  the  pit,  to  join  the  scene  which  was  at  the 
same  time  being  disclosed. 

On  the  stage  his  wife  and  his  next-door 
neighbour  are  having  a dispute  about  the  over- 
due rent  of  his  cottage.  Seeing  this  from  across 
the  theatre,  our  carpenter  loses  his  temper,  and 
struts  across  the  bridge  to  come  to  his  wife’s 
assistance.  He  and  the  landlady  get  to  words, 
and  he  pushes  her  out  of  his  yard.  She  trips  up 
and  rolls  along  the  stage.  The  audience  by  this 
time  are  weeping  from  laughter. 

In  the  next  scene  a myrmidon  of  the  law 
appears  and  tells  the  carpenter  that  he  will  have 
to  appear  before  the  Daymio  to  answer  for  his 
assault  on  his  neighbour  and  for  his  overdue  rent. 

He  and  his  wife  and  a young  sister  of  his  are 
left  in  a terrible  state  of  anxiety,  till  a friend 
enters  from  across  the  pit  and  tells  them  to 
cheer  up.  He  has  news  to  tell  which  will  not 
only  get  him  out  of  his  difficulties,  hut  will 
further  his  prospects.  The  Daymio  had  noticed 
the  young  sister  several  times,  and  had  decided  on 
making  her  his  concubine. 

The  prospects  of  such  a rise  in  the  fortune  of 
the  carpenter  makes  him  as  extravagantly 


278  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


boisterous  as  he  had  been  depressed  before.  The 
young  sister  looks  coy,  and  certainly  not  dis- 
pleased. Sake  is  handed  round,  and  the  carpenter 
becomes  pot-valiant,  and  threatens  to  go  to  his 
landlady’s  house  and  give  her  a bit  of  his  mind. 
AVhile  he  is  being  restrained  an  envoy  from  the 
Daymio  arrives,  and  the  joyful  news  is  confirmed. 

A period  of  a year  now  elapses.  Small  boys 
scramble  up  the  stage,  and  again  poke  their  heads 
under  the  curtain  to  watch  the  shifting  of  the 
scenes.  One  climbs  up  on  to  the  bridge  and 
tries  to  mimic  the  tipsy  carpenter.  Tea  is  made 
and  sipped  in  every  pen,  and  again  the  tap,  tap 
of  the  little  pipes  striking  the  edge  of  the  bamboo 
ash-tray  is  heard. 

The  next  scene  is  the  open  front  of  the 
Daymio’s  palace.  The  audience  are  told  by  the 
man  in  the  rostrum,  to  the  left  of  the  stage,  that 
Kiku  San,  the  honourable  concubine  of  their 
gi’eat  lord,  had  obtained  leave  to  receive  her 
brother,  the  carpenter,  and  show  him  her  baby. 

The  Daymio  is  squatting  on  a raised  seat  with 
attendant  Samurai  on  each  side  of  him.  Kiku 
San,  now  in  gorgeous  kimono,  with  whitened 
face  and  scarlet  lips,  sits  on  her  heels  to  the  right 
of  the  stage. 


TOKYO 


279 


The  carpenter  enters.  His  borrowed  smart 
clothes  sit  badly  on  him  ; his  awkward  manners 
in  the  presence  of  the  Daymio  keep  the  audience 
in  fits  of  laughter  ; and  his  amazement  when  he 
sees  his  sister  in  her  present  get-up  brings  the 
merriment  to  a climax.  “ Her  face  might  be 
made  of  plaster !”  he  exclaims,  and  crawls  up  to 
her  as  if  she  were  a sacred  image. 

The  Daymio  seems  amused  at  the  behaviour 
of  his  left-handed  brother-in-law,  and  orders  some 
sake  to  be  brought.  'Hie  carpenter  takes  to  it 
kindly,  and  wishes  to  stand  drinks  to  the  Samurai 
attendants.  A nurse  next  brings  the  baby,  and 
places  it  in  its  mother’s  lap. 

The  hero  is  beginning  to  show  the  effects  of 
the  sake,  and  wishes  to  embrace  his  infant  nephew. 
Kiku  lets  him  take  up  the  child,  whom  he  handles 
as  if  it  were  a breakable  object  and  covered  with 
wet  paint. 

When  he  holds  the  baby  with  its  feet  in  the 
air  and  head  downwards,  Kiku  rushes  forward 
and  rescues  her  child. 

This  ends  the  piece,  the  plot  seemingly  no 
nearer  a conclusion  than  at  the  beginning  of  the 
last  act. 

I’lie  acting  throughout  was  excellent,  and  the 


280  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


mise  en  scene  up  to  the  requirements,  but  that  so 
poor  a play  should  be  as  popular  as  it  is  is  hard 
to  understand. 

Being  a fine  frosty  night,  we  walked  part  of 
the  way  back  to  the  hotel,  the  ladies  keeping  at 
respectful  distance  behind.  I suggested  to  Mr. 
Tsuda  that  I should  like  to  make  a little  return 
for  the  tea  and  cakes  which  had  been  served  to 
us  during  the  entertainment.  He  thought  flowers 
or  cakes  would  be  the  most  suitable.  The  flower- 
stalls  being  closed,  we  slipped  into  a pastry-cook’s 
and  procured  the  sweetstufFs  we  wanted. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  hotel,  the  landlady  had 
oysters  and  rice-cakes  sent  to  our  room  ; it  was 
a good  opportunity  for  presenting  to  Kimi  San 
and  Utah  San  the  load  of  pastry  we  had  collected. 
They  opened  the  parcels  and  placed  the  contents 
on  the  low  table  where  we  were  squatting,  and 
disappeared.  I felt  that  my  present  had  fallen 
rather  flat,  and  looked  at  the  G.P.F.  for  an  ex- 
planation. He  said  that  we  must  eat  some  before 
they  did  so,  and  that  they  had  probably  gone  to 
fetch  the  other  n^sans,  amongst  whom  they  would 
divide  the  sweets. 

True  enough — we  had  hardly  eaten  our  oysters 
and  rice-cakes  when  a dozen  or  more  laughing 


TOKYO 


281 


little  women  tripped  up  to  our  room,  slid  back 
the  shoji,  and  one  by  one  brought  their  heads 
down  to  the  matting.  Having  answered  their 
“Arigatd,  arigatd  ” with  the  correct  “ Do  ita- 
shimashite,”  which  corresponds  to  our  “ Don’t 
mention  it,”  we  asked  them  to  sit  down. 

I was  looking  forward  to  an  impromptu  supper- 
party,  and  put  the  kettle  on  the  hibacM  to  boil, 
but  instead  of  eating  the  sweets,  they  kept  press- 
ing Mr.  Tsuda  and  myself  to  have  some.  We 
assured  them  that,  having  condescended  to  eat 
the  honourable  oysters,  we  had  had  quite 
sufficient. 

It  was  evidently  not  etiquette  for  them  to  eat 
here,  and  as  they  did  not  take  the  things  away, 
the  usual  kind  of  conversation  followed  ; “ What 
is  your  name?”  “Mura” — from  a pretty  little 
slopy-eyed  creature.  Mura  means  village.  “ Are 
they  all  as  nice-looking  in  your  village  ?”  Mura’s 
eyes  become  two  oblique  slits,  and  the  expected 
answer  comes  : “ Most  of  the  musume  in  my 
village  are  much  prettier ; I am  the  least  worth 
looking  at.”  You  ask  Mura  her  age — quite  the 
polite  thing  to  do — and  she  asks  you  to  guess. 
You  guess  sixteen.  She  thanks  you  for  the  com- 
pliment, and  says  she  is  already  nineteen. 


282  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Meno  San,  or  Miss  Plum,  is  asked,  after  her 
age  is  under-guessed,  whether  she  is  already 
betrothed.  JMeno  says,  “ No,  no,  no,”  and  several 
others  join  in  that  the  nakodo  is  now  arranging 
a marriage.  You  tell  Miss  Plum  that  you  hope 
the  match-maker  may  find  a rich  man,  and  one  to 
her  liking.  Plum  answers  that  she  does  not  care 
whether  he  be  rich  or  poor,  as  long  as  he  is  kind. 
“ I can  work,”  says  Miss  Plum,  showing  a pair  of 
well-rounded  arms.  “ If  only  he  be  kind  to  me 
I shall  make  him  happy,  however  humble  an  uchi 
we  may  have  to  live  in.” 

I have  heard  this  kind  of  remark  several  times. 
The  marriage  tie  being  much  looser  here  than  in 
Europe,  the  fear  that  the  husband  may  tire  of  his 
wife  seems  to  haunt  these  sensitive  little  women. 

After  hearing  the  names  and  guessing  the  ages 
of  the  Misses  Village,  Plum,  Bamboo,  Pine,  Peony, 
I..ily,  Clean,  Song,  and  sev^eral  others,  and  after 
attempting  little  comments  on  their  names,  1 was 
rather  hoping  that  the  meeting  would  break  up. 

Miss  Clean  asked  if  she  might  see  the  photo- 
graphs of  my  wife  and  sons.  “ How  old  were 
the  sons  ? how  old  was  the  Oko  San  ?”  I told 
them  my  sons’  ages,  and  must  have  under-guessed 
that  of  my  wife,  for  a little  calculation  would 


TOKYO 


283 


have  made  her  a mother  at  about  nine  years  of 
age.  They  did  not  calculate  so  deeply,  and  it 
passed.  “ Had  I no  daughters  ?”  “No.”  “Oh, 

' then,  I will  be  a daughter-in-law,”  came  from 
Miss  Peony,  a jolly  little  woman  of  seventeen. 
“ Write  and  tell  your  son  to  come  to  Japan,  and 
I shall  marry  him  instantly.”  (I’he  son  is  perhaps 
as  well  where  he  is.)  “ Isn’t  he  a beauty  !”  And 
then  a lop-sided  compliment  came  my  way : 
“He  must  have  been  good-looking  when  he  was 
young.”  This  after  a careful  comparison  of  the 
photograph  with  myself. 

It  was  getting  very  late,  and  I gave  the  G.P.F. 
a hint  to  break  up  the  party.  The  hint  he  gave 
was,  I thought,  abrupt : “ Get  the  room  ready  for 
the  night.” 

The  cakes  were  marched  off,  and  the  whole 
string  of  girls  brought  their  heads  to  the  floor : 

' “ O yasumi  nasai.” 

^ Amidst  the  chatter  and  giggling  we  heard  a 
dozen  or  more  dainty  little  feet  tripping  along 
the  passage. 

Play  was  now  over  for  Kimi  and  Utah. 
Everything  had  to  be  dusted  and  put  in  its  place, 
the  matting  vigorously  swept,  clothes  folded, 
and  the  quilts  spread  out  on  the  floor.  The 


284  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


heavy  hibachi,  which  in  winter  serves  to  warm 
the  room  as  well  as  to  light  the  pipes  and  keep 
the  kettle  on  the  boil,  is  taken  out,  for  no  one 
sleeps  with  the  live  charcoal  in  the  room.  “ O 
yasumi  nasai  ” from  Kimi  and  Utah,  and  we  are 
left  to  dream  of  the  tipsy  carpenter  and  the 
plaster  face  of  Kiku  San. 

In  taking  leave  of  Tokyo,  I feel  how  much  of 
what  is  beautiful  there  has  not  been  mentioned 
in  these  pages.  Shiba  and  Ueno,  the  two  great 
gardens  where,  amidst  magnificent  trees,  gor- 
geously decorated  shrines  mark  the  resting-place 
of  former  Shoguns ; the  art  treasures  in  the 
museum  and  temples,  have  not  even  been 
alluded  to. 

Tokyo  is  the  heart  of  the  Japanese  Risorgi- 
mcnto.  The  fight  at  Ueno  in  1868,  when  the 
Imperial  troops  routed  the  followers  of  the 
Shogun,  was  one  of  the  last  blows  to  the  old 
order,  and  modern  Japan  dates  from  thence. 

These  and  other  matters  have  been  fully  and 
ably  dealt  with,  and  do  not  come  within  the 
purpose  of  this  book. 

I have  endeavoured  so  far  to  treat  of  the 
pictorial  aspects  of  Japan,  and  of  the  life  of  the 
people  vdth  whom  I was  thrown. 


COTTAGI-:  AT  ATA.MI 


i 

> • 

..t  * 

' ifc 


\V’ 


..  1 


TOKYO 


285 


I did  not  visit  the  hospitals  and  prisons,  but 
contented  myself  with  hearing  from  others  that 
these  institutions  were  regulated  according  to  the 
most  up-to-date  systems  obtaining  in  Europe. 

The  seamy  side  of  Japanese  life  is  little  in 
evidence  unless  the  traveller  goes  out  of  his  way 
to  seek  it.  He  can  wander  about  the  streets  at 
night,  and  will  rarely,  if  ever,  see  anyone  the 
worse  for  drink,  and  he  will  never  hear  the  foul- 
mouthed  abuse  often  heard  in  Western  cities. 
Brazen-faced  solicitation  to  vice  is  entirely  absent. 
It  is  true  that  libertinism  is  permitted  and  State- 
regulated,  but  it  is  strictly  confined  to  one  quarter. 

The  Yoshiwara  is  the  name  given  to  that  quarter 
in  Tokyo.  The  courtesans  and  those  who  hve  on 
their  trade  alone  inhabit  it.  It  is  a sad  sight  to 
see  some  two  thousand  of  these  unfortunate 
women,  decked  in  gorgeous  apparel,  seated 
behind  the  gilded  bars  of  what  would  correspond 
to  a shop-front  at  home.  The  solicitation  is  done 
by  the  brothel-keeper,  who  sits  at  the  entrance 
i and  extols  his  wares  to  the  visitors. 

The  quiet  behaviour  of  the  young  women  adds 
to  the  pathos  of  the  scene.  Not  one  is  probably 
1 here  from  any  desire  to  lead  what  is  termed  “the 
gay  life.” 


286  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


They  are  recruited  from  the  poorest  country 
districts,  where,  after  a bad  harvest  or  other  mis- 
fortune, a peasant  may  be  found  to  sacrifice  a 
daughter  to  keep  the  family  roof  over  his  head. 

She  earns  nothing  herself  during  the  term  of 
her  degradation ; her  wages  are  paid  to  her 
parents,  and  she  must  hand  over  to  her  keeper 
any  presents  she  may  receive. 

Till  the  year  1900  these  unfortunate  girls  had 
no  hope  of  fi-eeing  themselves,  unless  the  moneys 
disbursed  to  their  parents  could  be  restored  to 
their  keepers,  and  unless  the  debts  incurred  for 
their  clothes  could  be  wiped  off.  An  agitation 
against  the  system  was  begun  by  the  Japan 
branch  of  the  Salvation  Army.  The  Press  took 
it  up,  and  a law  was  passed  which  renders  it 
easier  for  the  inmates  to  free  themselves. 

Members  of  the  Salvation  Army  stormed  the 
Y oshiwara,  and  from  the  streets  explained  to  the 
women  the  new  state  of  the  law.  They  also  told 
them  that  work  would  be  provided  which  would 
keep  them,  and  enable  them  to  pay  off  their  debts 
in  time. 

There  was  a great  disturbance,  many  of  the 
women  rushing  out  to  join  the  Salvationists. 
The  brothel-keepers  overawed  the  more  timid 


TOKYO 


287 


ones,  and  stoned  and  hustled  the  propagandists. 
Most  of  the  local  papers  approved  the  action 
of  the  Salvation  Army,  and  many  of  the  houses 
had  to  close  their  doors. 

The  number  of  the  inmates  has  decreased  con- 
siderably since  then.  She  who  enters  there  does 
not,  as  formerly,  abandon  hope. 

The  tourist  who  makes  a short  stay  in  .Japan 
is  usually  taken  to  the  Yoshiwara  as  one  of  the 
sights  of  Tokyo.  He  is  also  taken  to  the  tea- 
houses to  be  entertained  by  the  geisha,  and  he 
leaves  the  country  with  the  impression  that 
I Japanese  womanhood  is  of  easy  virtue.  That 
he  is  wTong  I am  convinced.  The  legitimate 
aspiration  to  marry  and  become  the  mother  of 
children  is  stronger  in  .Japan  than  in  most 
countries.  To  carry  on  the  family  cult  is  as 
much  the  desire  of  every  peasant-girl  as  is  the 
' desire  in  England  in  the  more  favoured  classes 
ii  to  have  an  heir  to  inherit  an  estate.  She  may 
I'  marry  when  she  has  served  her  term,  but  she 
j,  returns  to  her  village  as  a damaged  article,  and 
jl  marriage  may  not  improve  her  lot. 

I The  attitude  of  the  respectable  women  towards 
|1  the  licensed  hetaira?  is  different  from  what  we  find 
! it  at  home.  They  are  spoken  of  freely,  not 

I 


288  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


necessarily  in  condemnation,  but  as  unfortunates 
whom  stress  of  circumstances  has  forced  to 
lead  this  life.  In  hotels,  where  temptations  to 
vice  may  be  greater  than  in  the  villages,  the 
Yoshiwara  is  held  out  to  the  maids  as  a place 
of  punishment  where  they  might  be  sent  should 
they  misbehave. 

^Mlile  wandering  about  Asakusa  during  one 
of  its  fairs,  I was  attracted  into  a show  where 
a series  of  tableaux  were  on  view.  They  repre- 
sented episodes  in  the  history  of  the  popular 
heroes  and  heroines  of  Japanese  romance. 
Amongst  them  was  a variant  of  the  story  of 
Claudio  and  Isabella  in  “ Measure  for  Measure.” 
The  hero  is  a young  nobleman  who  is  left  no 
choice  than  to  commit  hara-kiri  unless  he  can 
pay  off  some  debt  of  honour,  and  the  heroine 
is  his  sister.  He  does  not  plead,  as  did  the 
miserable  Claudio : 

“ Sweet  sister,  let  me  live : What  sin  you  do  to  save  a 
brother’s  life.  Nature  dispenses  with  the  deed  so  far 
That  it  becomes  a virtue.” 

And  she  does  not  answer  him : 

“ O dishonest  wretch ! Wilt  thou  be  made  a man  out  of 
my  vice  ? Is’t  not  a kind  of  incest  to  take  life  from 
thine  own  sister’s  shame  ?” 


TOKYO 


289 


A third  personage  in  the  tableau  is  that  of  a 
woman  seated  in  her  litter,  which  two  carriers 
are  resting  on  the  ground.  She  holds  out  the 
purse  of  gold  which  will  pay  off  the  young  man’s 
debt  and  save  his  life.  The  sister  pleads  with 
her  brother  to  take  the  money,  though  it  is  the 
price  of  her  honour  which  the  emissary  from  the 
Yoshiwara  is  offering. 

The  sympathies  of  the  crowd  who  looked  on 
were  all  with  the  young  noblewoman,  and  had 
the  brother  yielded,  her  shame  would  have  been 
counted  to  her  as  a noble  sacrifice. 

Asakusa  is  the  district  of  Tokyo  which 
seems  the  least  affected  by  European  influence. 
Whether  it  be  much  visited  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  centre  or  west  end  of  the  city  I could  not 
say,  but  I rarely  saw  a man  there  in  the  Western 
clothes  which  the  business  and  official  classes 
are  adopting.  Advertisements  in  European 
characters  are,  happily,  also  rare.  Even  the 
lettering  round  the  familiar  poster  of  the  terrier 
listening  to  the  gramophone  was  in  Chinese 
characters.  Queer  sounds  proceed  from  the 
gramophone  when  heard  in  Asakusa.  The 
terrier  would  listen  in  vain  for  “his  master’s 
voice.”  Western  music  would  be  as  little  under- 
19 


290  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


stood  here  as  the  song  of  the  geisha  would  be 
at  home. 

I had  seen  that  poster  begun,  continued,  and 
ended  in  the  studio  of  my  friend  Francis  Barraud, 
and  little  expected  to  find  it  in  the  by-ways  in 
Japan. 

The  cinematograph  has  caught  on  as  much 
as  the  gramophone  has.  I attended  a performance 
where  there  was  an  even  mixture  of  Parisian  and 
Japanese  scenes.  The  intrigues  of  Alphonse  and 
madame’s  lady’s-maid  were  entirely  lost  on  the 
audience,  and  would  not  have  been  edifying  had 
they  been  understood,  whereas  “ The  Loves  of 
Gompachi  and  Komurasaki  ” moved  the  audience 
to  tears. 

I saw  one  of  the  “ Tales  of  Old  .Japan  ” in  the 
making  while  at  Nikko.  The  actors  were  going 
through  their  parts  on  the  bridge  which  crosses 
the  Daiya-gawa.  The  cinematographer  was 
winding  his  machine,  while  a young  woman  was 
attempting  to  throw  herself  from  the  parapet, 
to  escape  from  the  attentions  of  a young  Samurai. 
It  was  during  the  busiest  part  of  the  day,  and 
the  click,  click,  click  of  the  eamera  was  often 
interrupted  to  allow  the  ordinary  traffic  to  pass. 

Tlie  Red  Sacred  Bridge  formed  the  background 


TOKYO 


291 


to  the  drama  which  was  being  recorded.  It  is  a 
far  ciy  from  Shodo  Shonin’s  rainbow-like  arch  to 
the  faking  of  the  cinematographic  performance  I 
witnessed. 

Whether  there  be  a fair  going  on  or  not,  the 
narrow  streets  and  open  spaces  of  Asakusa  are 
always  full  of  people.  It  is  a populous  district, 
and  it  also  attracts  the  country-folk,  who  make 
their  purchases  here,  and  can  always  find  some 
entertainment. 

I saw  no  drunkenness  and  1 heard  no  quarrel- 
ling. Once  I was  prepared  to  witness  a row,  for 
I could  not  conceive  a similar  accident  happening 
anywhere  without  one.  A tramcar  we  had  taken 
to  come  here  fouled  the  end  of  a long  ladder 
which  was  on  a two-wheeled  cart.  The  ladder 
and  cart  spun  round,  and  the  farther  end  was 
! dashed  into  a shop-window,  upsetting  and  smash- 
I ing  most  of  the  hardware  displayed.  The  shop- 
I man,  the  tram-conductor,  and  the  man  with  the 
i,  ladder  were  the  three  whom  a Westerner  would 
expect  to  hear  blaspheme,  even  if  the  other 
witnesses  held  their  peace.  No  such  thing  took 
I'  place  here.  The  three  mostly  concerned  addressed 
each  other  politely,  took  out  their  notebooks  and 
wrote  down  the  circumstances,  leaving  the  amount 


292  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


of  damages  to  be  settled  later  on.  After  a quiet 
talk  they  bowed  to  each  other,  the  conductor 
returned  to  his  car,  and  we  continued  our  journey. 

When  men  of  this  class  are  brutally  addressed 
by  Westerners  at  Kobe  or  Yokohama,  what  must 
they  think  of  the  higher  civilization  which  the 
Westerner  proudly  assumes  to  represent? 


CHAPTER  XXI 


AT  AMI  AND  CONCLUSION 

HE  increasing  cold  weather  when  November 


ended  made  it  impossible  to  work  out  of 
doors  unless  I could  happily  find  a place  in  the 
sun  and  sheltered  from  the  wind.  Our  room  in 
the  hotel  was  bearable  while  the  sun  shone  on  it, 
but  the  hibachi  was  not  enough  to  keep  it  warm 
at  other  times. 

I made  inquiries  as  to  where  in  .Japan  it  might 
be  possible  to  find  a sheltered  place  which  would 
permit  of  my  working  out  of  doors.  I was  told 
that  I could  find  no  warmer  spot  than  Atami. 
I looked  up  what  Murray  had  to  say  about  it, 
and  the  first  paragraph  1 read  decided  me  to  go 
there : “ Atami  has  become  a favourite  winter 
resort  of  the  Japanese,  as  it  possesses  hot  springs, 
and  is  protected  by  a high  range  of  hills  from  the 
north-westerly  winds  which  prevail  at  this  season. 
The  whole  stretch  of  coast  from  Kozu,  on  the 
Tokaido  Railway,  to  Atami  partakes  more  or 


293 


294  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


less  of  the  same  advantage,  and  the  soft  air,  the 
orange-groves,  and  the  deep  blue  of  Odawara 
Bay,  combine  to  make  of  this  district  the  Riviera 
of  Japan.” 

The  phrase  “ favourite  winter  resort  ” did  not 
frighten  me  as  it  does  nearer  home.  Such  places 
are  not  made  hideous  in  Japan  \vith  rows  of 
jerry-built  villas,  an  uninteresting  esplanade, 
and  an  iron  pier.  A further  inducement  was 
that  within  a mile  from  Atami  was  the  Bai-en, 
or  plum -garden,  blossoming  from  the  new  year 
to  early  February. 

Leaving  the  Tokaido  Railway  at  Kozu,  we 
took  an  electric  tramway  to  Odawara,  which  has 
been  mentioned  before.  We  then  took  the  little 
steam  tramway  which  winds  along  the  coast, 
and  reached  our  destination  in  another  three 
hours. 

The  Higuchi  Hotel,  where  we  put  up,  is  the  one 
amongst  the  many  which  is  in  part  Europeanized, 
and  where  a fire-place  in  the  rooms,  as  well  as 
large  glazed  windows,  promised  to  make  my 
work  a possibility,  should  the  fine  weather  break. 
I decided  to  stay  there  at  least  a month,  and, 
anyhow,  not  leave  it  till  I had  made  some  studies 
of  the  plum-blossom. 


A I’l.UM.OKC'HARl) 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  295 


When  a place  has  been  much  praised,  it  is 
seldom  that  a slight  disappointment  does  not 
await  the  visitor.  This  was  not  the  case  at 
Atami.  For  one  thing,  the  fine  weather  usually 
expected  in  November  lasted  on,  with  but  few 
breaks,  till  after  the  new  year.  We  could  enjoy 
the  sunshine  under  the  shelter  from  the  piercing 
cold  winds.  Though  only  sixty  miles  or  so  from 
Tokyo,  the  difference  was  nearly  as  marked  as 
between  the  temperature  of  the  North  and  South 
of  France, 

I was  at  first  the  only  guest  in  the  European 
part  of  the  hotel,  while  in  the  purely  .Japanese 
portion,  where  Mr.  Tsuda  lodged,  there  were  a 
fair  number  who  were  taking  the  baths.  Foreign 
visitors  had  engaged  all  the  rooms  in  my  part 
for  the  Christmas  holidays. 

The  blue  sea  and  the  lie  of  the  land  reminded 
me  of  Alassio  and  other  places  on  the  Italian 
Riviera.  1 found  temples  here  under  the  shade 
of  huge  camphor-trees  and  evergreen  oaks,  also 
beautiful  orange-groves  with  thousands  of  golden 
spheres  ready  to  be  culled.  The  streets  were  as 
picturesque  as  those  of  any  primitive  .Tapanese 
country  town  which  is  not  “a  resort,”  and  the 
many  things  which  are  sketchable  in  most  fishing 


29G  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


villages  were  in  plenty  where  the  town  reaches 
the  shore  of  Odawara  Bay. 

I started  to  work  at  once  in  an  orange-grove, 
as  the  fruit  was  already  being  picked  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  first  promise  of  spring  showed  itself  at 
Bai-en  before  December  was  half  through.  The 
buds  of  plum-blossom  wanted  but  a few  days 
more  of  sunshine  to  open  their  petals.  A large 
rose-bush  was  in  full  bloom  at  the  entrance  to  a 
rustic  tea-house  where  we  rested.  We  were 
promised  here  that  in  another  fortnight  Bai-en 
would  be  in  its  full  beauty. 

I painted  the  rose-bush  and  tea-house,  as  well 
as  the  keeper’s  little  daughter  with  the  last-born 
slung  on  her  back. 

Bai-en  is  more  of  an  orchard  than  a garden. 
It  stretches  for  nearly  a mile  up  a fold  in  the 
hills,  and  is  divided  in  two  by  a running  stream. 
We  saw  it  at  its  best  only  just  in  time,  for  the 
long  spell  of  fine  weather  broke  soon  after  its 
myriads  of  snowy  petals  had  attracted  people 
from  far  and  near  to  gaze  on  its  beauty. 

Great  preparations  were  going  on  at  the  hotel 
for  the  foreign  visitors  from  Yokohama  and 
Tokyo,  who  were  to  arrive  on  Christmas  Day. 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  297 


Two  or  three  spring-cleanings  rolled  into  one 
would  hardly  equal  the  scrubbing  and  dusting 
that  went  on. 

The  cook  and  the  landlady  made  the  decora- 
tion of  the  dining-room  their  special  care. 
Garlands  and  coloured-glass  globes  were  hung 
on  the  walls  and  criss-crossed  the  ceiling.  A 
large  sideboard  was  laden  with  fruits  and  sweet- 
stuffs,  and  a huge  Christmas  cake  \\ith  wondrous 
sugary  floral  adornments  formed  the  centre-piece. 

Much  time  was  spent  on  the  arrangement  of 
the  flowers  placed  on  each  table.  The  landlady 
had  evidently  attended  in  her  time  classes  where 
the  making  of  posies  is  solely  taught.  Her 
floral  compositions  had  all  the  necessary  require- 
ments : the  longest  spray  in  the  middle,  a 
shorter  one  branching  away  from  it,  and  a third 
half  the  length  of  the  latter  bending  over  to  the 
opposite  side.  The  angle  at  which  the  centre 
stem  leans  over  is  a matter  of  great  importance, 
and  the  stem  is  often  steamed  and  tied  till  a 
graceful  curve  is  obtained. 

A consultation  \^dth  the  cook  took  place  as  to 
whether  one  of  the  compositions  could  not  be 
amended  so  as  to  make  a good  silhouette  from 
the  four  ends  of  the  table.  Some  slight  re- 


298  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


adjustments  followed,  and  they  were  satisfied 
that  the  aisthetic  tastes  of  their  guests  would  not 
be  shocked. 

We  were  to  have  the  orthodox  Christmas  dinner, 
and  I thought  it  might  be  a novel  experience  to 
Mr.  Tsuda  to  attend  it.  He  accepted  my  invita- 
tion, and  seemed  pleased  to  do  so.  A few  hours 
before  the  feast  he  came  to  my  room  and  asked 
to  be  let  off.  He  gave  some  lame  excuse  about 
.Japanese  cooking  suiting  him  better,  but  as  we 
had  often  had  European  meals  together,  and  he 
never  seemed  the  worse  for  them,  I felt  convinced 
that  there  was  some  other  reason. 

The  guests  had  arrived  early  in  the  afternoon, 
and  something  in  their  manner  of  treating  him 
was  probably  the  cause. 

Wheii  the  dinner  was  announced,  I sat  in  my 
usual  corner  at  a little  table  by  myself.  I was 
curious  to  see  if  the  pains  the  landlady  had 
taken  with  the  decorations  would  be  appreciated. 

Four  young  men,  connected  with  business  in 
the  foreign  settlements,  took  their  seats  at  the 
table  on  which  the  chief  floral  composition  was 
placed.  A handsome  Englishman,  with  the  build 
of  a young  Hercules,  sat  nearest  to  the  carefully 
bent  end  of  the  twig.  In  stooping  forward  this 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  299 


tickled  his  forehead  ; he  tried  to  push  it  aside,  but 
once  or  twice  more  it  touched  his  head.  Irritated  at 
this,  he  called  out  to  the  landlady,  who  stood  near : 
“ Here,  old  lady,  take  this  damn  thing  away  !” 

As  she  removed  the  floral  composition,  the 
poor  woman  looked  my  way.  “ Is  it  for  this  that 
I took  such  pains  ?”  That  look  expressed  this 
question  as  clearly  as  the  spoken  word.  Some 
.lapanese  equivalent  to  “ casting  pearls  ” probably 
passed  through  her  mind. 

At  the  farther  end  of  the  room  there  sat  round 
a large  table  the  landlady’s  old  father,  her 
husband  and  several  children,  as  well  as  some 
other  relatives.  They  seemed  to  be  enjoying 
this  unusual  meal,  though  some  were  as  little 
used  to  a knife  and  fork  as  I was  to  chopsticks 
when  I first  dined  in  a Japanese  inn. 

I heard  one  or  two  remarks  near  me  about 
the  cheek  of  their  coming  here,  and  why  couldn’t 
they  feed  in  the  native  part  of  the  hotel  ? I 
remarked  to  one  who  appealed  to  me  that  I had 
often  fed  in  purely  Japanese  restaurants,  and  I 
hoped  that  the  native  guests  had  not  resented 
my  doing  so.  “ Look  how  that  one  uses  his 
fork  !”  I answered  that  it  was  not  half  as  funny 
as  my  first  attempts  with  chopsticks. 


300  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


My  suspicions  why  Tsuda  had  backed  out  of 
dining  here  this  evening  were  now  confirmed. 

At  the  end  of  the  dinner  one  of  my  four 
neighbours  at  the  next  table  made  some  amends 
for  the  slight  to  the  floral  composition  by  taking 
a bundle  of  crackers  to  the  family  group  and 
pulling  them  with  the  different  members.  This 
seemed  much  appreciated,  and  after  some  con- 
sultation, the  landlord’s  little  daughter  of  about 
eight  was  sent  to  our  end  of  the  room  to  hand  to 
us  some  Japanese  sweets. 

I have  often  been  told  by  the  old  resident  who 
prides  himself  on  knowing  the  Japanese  that  I 
must  not  flatter  myself  that  they  like  us,  in  spite 
of  their  courteous  manners.  Probably  they 
do  not,  when  they  take  foreigners  collectively  ; 
but  most  probably  they  take  the  individual  as 
they  find  him. 

The  trifling  incidents  which  I have  mentioned 
may  show  how  easily  the  susceptibilities  of  a 
people  may  be  offended,  and  yet  how  easy  it  is 
to  ingratiate  oneself  if  a little  pains  are  taken,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  gentleman  with  the  crackers. 

The  four  men,  seeing  that  I was  alone,  kindly 
invited  me  to  join  their  party,  and  some  cham- 
pagne made  the  conversation  flow.  They  had 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  301 


all  been  in  Japan  longer  than  I had,  and  spoke 
more  of  the  language.  More  things  were  told 
me  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Japanese.  “ Wait 
till  you  have  lived  here  as  long  as  we  have,  and 
you  will  change  your  mind,”  was  heard  once 
more.  It  recalled  a remark  I once  heard  from 
the  late  Sir  Wilham  Harcourt,  and  that  was  : 
“ When  a man  tells  me  that  he  has  lived  twenty 
years  in  a country  and  speaks  the  language,  I 
generally  don’t  believe  a word  of  what  he  says.” 

This  remark  struck  me  at  the  time  as  rather 
absurd,  but  I have  since  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  is  a certain  amount  of  truth  in  it. 

A strong  prejudice  may  easily  outlive  twenty 
years  in  any  country.  A young  clerk  joining  a 
house  of  business  which  is  losing  its  trade  through 
native  competition  is  not  likely  to  hear  unpreju- 
diced opinions  of  the  natives  who  have  become 
serious  rivals.  We  often  hear  the  honesty  of 
the  Chuiese  traders  quoted  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  .lapanese  men  of  business. 

Wait  till  John  Chhiaman  becomes  a serious 
rival  in  the  trading  now  in  the  hands  of  the 
foreigner  ; we  shall  not  hear  so  much  then  about 
this  honesty.  As  I mentioned  before,  the  foreign 
residents  whom  I had  the  pleasure  of  meeting, 


802  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


and  who  were  not  connected  with  trade,  all 
spoke  well  of  the  Japanese.  Our  statesmen  were 
the  first  to  make  treaties  whereby  foreigners 
were  made  subject  to  Japanese  law,  and  they 
were  the  first  to  deem  Japan  worthy  of  an  alliance. 

Some  of  the  English  newspapers  in  Japan 
would  do  well  to  remember  this  before  publishing 
the  disparaging  articles  often  seen  in  them ; and 
good  taste  should  prevent  the  wholesale  abuse 
wliich  some  of  the  residents  level  at  the  people 
in  whose  country  they  are  making  their  living. 

An  artistic  nation,  and  one  whom  the  whole 
world  admires  for  the  unparalleled  sacrifices  it 
has  made  to  preserve  its  independence,  must  of 
necessity  be  a sensitive  nation.  The  Japanese 
seldom  resort  to  vituperation  in  answer  to  the 
sneers  of  the  Westerners  ; they  may  resent  them 
in  silence,  but  the  resentment  is  there  nevertheless. 

A case  of  one  being  answered  in  kind  was  told 
me  by  a Japanese  friend,  and  is  worth  repeating. 
It  was  during  the  time  when  feelmg  ran  high  con- 
cerning the  treatment  of  Japanese  children  in  the 
schools  in  California.  An  American  addressed  a 
Japanese  he  met  in  the  States  as  follows  : “ Well, 
what  kind  of  a ‘ nese  ’ are  you,  a Chinese  or  a 
Japanese  ?”  He  was  answered  by  another  question : 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  303 


“ What  kind  of  a ‘ kee  ’ are  you,  a donkee  or  a 
Y ankee  ?”  They  resent  being  taken  for  China- 
men, and  they  resent  being  termed  Japs.  I have 
argued  with  them  that  the  latter  term,  though 
often  used,  is  not  necessarily  meant  as  a slight, 
and  that  in  the  slipshod  English  of  ordinary  con- 
versation names  are  constantly  clipped  of  some  of 
their  syllables.  Laplanders  are  called  Laps,  and 
the  Papuans  are  probably  called  Paps ; but  I did 
not  make  use  of  this  analogy. 

Since  1873  Japan  has  adopted  the  Gregorian 
Calendar  ; thus,  her  New  Year  falls  on  the  same 
day  as  ours.  It  is  the  chief  holiday  of  the  year. 
Officially  it  lasts  three  days,  but  it  is  generally  a 
week  or  more  before  people  resume  their  ordinary 
work.  Both  the  European  and  Japanese  sides 
of  the  Higuchi  were  crowded  with  Usitors.  The 
\Vesterners  spent  their  holiday  in  climbing  the 
mountains,  taking  excursions  along  the  beautiful 
sea-coast,  or  visiting  one  of  the  islands  in  the 
bay.  A few  went  to  Bai-en  on  my  recommenda- 
tion, but  they  soon  tired  of  looking  at  plum- 
trees.  It  was  good  enough  for  Japanese  and 
feeble  kind  of  people,  such  as  artists  and  writers  ! 

When  we  consider  how  seldom  we  hear  at 
home  of  excursions  being  made  to  view  the 


304  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


beauty  of  the  apple-orchards  in  Kent,  when  the 
trees  are  laden  with  pink  and  white  blossoms, 
or  we  consider  the  surprise  of  a Normandy 
farmer  should  a party  of  Parisians  ask  to  wander 
amongst  his  apple-trees,  is  it  to  be  wondered  at 
that  Westerners  residing  in  Japan  should  feel 
equally  indifferent  to  these  plum-trees  ? — The 
£Esthetic  sense,  which  is  developed  in  a few  in  the 
West,  seems  universal  here  in  the  Far  East. 

Trade  competition,  piece-work,  and  so  on,  may 
blunt  the  sense  in  Japan,  as  it  has  done  elsewhere. 
Prophecies  concerning  the  destinies  of  this  country 
have  so  often  proved  wrong  ; let  us  hope  that 
this  one  may  be  equally  fallacious. 

Crowds  flocked  to  Bai-en  to  stroll  about  in 
the  chequered  sunlight  and  gaze  at  the  snowy 
blossoms  above  them.  Groups  of  people  sat 
about  in  their  holiday  kimonos ; young  poets 
wrote  verses  to  the  Ume  to  be  hung  from  the 
boughs  of  the  trees  they  extolled.  The  tea- 
houses did  a good  trade,  and  the  diviner  and 
fortune-teller  was  seldom  without  a client. 

There  was  a tea-garden  near  the  shore  which 
the  plum-blossom  now  also  beautified.  I found 
subjects  there  for  the  book  on  Japanese  Gardens. 

Fishing  competitions  took  place  from  the  edge 


L 


ATAMl  AND  CONCLUSION 


305 


of  a tortuous  and  well-bridged  pond.  The  gold- 
fish had  little  to  mind  from  being  caught,  for, 
when  released  from  a barbless  hook,  they  swam 
about  in  a tub  of  water,  and  were  returned  to 
the  pond  when  the  entertainment  was  over. 
There  was  much  more  colour  in  the  dresses  of 
the  people  than  at  ordinary  times.  The  children 
especially  had  gorgeous  cloaks,  with  fiowers  and 
butterflies  embroidered  on  them. 

The  fislier-folk  living  near  the  shore  had 
fiowers  and  fishes  on  the  blue  cotton  kimonos, 
which  they  only  wear  during  the  New  Year 
' festival.  Garlands  hung  from  the  balconies,  and 
a lobster,  framed  in  a double  loop  of  twisted 
I rope,  was  fastened  over  many  doorways.  TJie 
I crooked  back  of  the  lobster  symbolizes  old  age, 

I and  expresses  the  wisli  of  long  life  to  the 
I members  of  the  household. 

: I sliould  have  found  it  hard  to  tear  myself  away 

from  Atami  at  anytime.  Protected  as  it  is  from 
the  piercing  winds,  it  was  still  harder  to  return  to 
the  wintry  cold  beyond  the  sheltering  mountains. 

; I was  obliged  to  return  to  England  in  the  spring, 

! and  wished  to  revisit  Kyoto  before  I left  Japan. 

“ If  it  must  be  so,’'  say  the  .Japanese,  in  their 
jj  graceful  parting  address — “ Sayonara.” 

20 


306  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


After  several  attempts  to  see  the  geyser 
(Atami’s  show-sight)  break  out,  I succeeded  in 
seeing  it  belch  up  its  heated  water  amidst  a 
dense  cloud  of  steam.  I felt  I could  now  depart 
in  peace,  and  the  G.P.F.  and  I started  on  our 
return  journey  to  Kyoto. 

We  visited  Kamakura,  the  ancient  capital  of 
the  first  Shoguns,  climbed  up  the  interior  of  the 
bronze  Daibutsu  or  the  colossal  Buddha,  saw  the 
thousand-handed  Kwannon,  and  wandered  about 
the  precincts  of  Hachiman’s  shrine. 

We  broke  our  journey  to  Kyoto  by  spending 
a night  at  Nagoya.  I had  obtained  a permit 
from  the  British  Embassy  to  view  the  great 
castle.  I wipe  Nagoya  out  of  my  reminiscences  ; 
it  rained  steadily,  and  we  could  not  visit  the  castle 
because  the  Crown  Prince  was  in  residence  at 
the  time. 

At  Kyoto  Station  I parted  company  with  Mr. 
Tsuda.  He  had  been  my  guide,  philosopher, 
and  friend  for  five  months  past ; we  had  had 
many  a day’s  tramp  together ; he  had  shared  my 
room  in  humble  country  inns,  and  he  had  been 
able  to  pilot  me  around  some  quarters  in  the 
cities  which  are  hardly  knowTi  to  its  well-to-do 
inhabitants.  Having  obtained  a permanent  situa- 


ATAMl  AND  CONCLUSION  307 


tion  with  a large  firm  at  Osaka,  he  was  anxious 
to  catch  the  next  train  to  that  city. 

The  manager  of  the  Yaami  was  there  to  meet 
me,  and  I felt  somewhat  like  returning  home 
when  I got  back  to  my  old  quarters  in  his  hotel. 

I looked  up  the  friends  I made  in  Kyoto.  JVlr. 
Blow  had  not  returned  from  England ; I was 
fortunate  in  being  able  to  renew  my  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  Gordon-Smith  before  he  left,  and  enjoyed 
seeing  the  additions  he  had  made  to  his  unique 
collection  of  Chinese  snuff-bottles.  Monsieur 
Odin  showed  me  a good  deal  of  hospitality,  and 
was  able  to  give  itie  much  information  about 
early  Japanese  art. 

I revisited  the  apartments  of  Chion-in  Temple 
with  my  friend  Kanocogni,  and  we  spent  some 
happy  hours  together  during  the  long  evenings. 
I had  never  been  over  the  Nishi  Hongwanji 
temple,  as  there  is  sometimes  a difficulty  in  getting 
admitted  ; and  had  I no  other  reasons  for  return- 
ing to  Kyoto,  only  to  see  this  shrine  would  have 
been  reason  enough. 

I’he  apartments  are  the  residence  of  the  Prince- 
Abbot,  and  are  adorned  with  the  best  paintings  of 
the  masters  of  the  Kano  School.  They  are  as  im- 
portant in  their  relation  to  the  art  of  Japan  as 


308  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


the  Loggia  at  the  Vatican  or  the  Doge’s  Palace 
at  Venice  are  to  the  art  of  Italy.  There  is  not 
one  inharmonious  note  in  one  of  these  spacious 
rooms. 

Space  does  not  allow  of  a detailed  account  of 
the  beautiful  things  to  be  seen  there.  Those 
who  make  a short  visit  to  Kyoto  make  a point  of 
seeing  the  Imperial  Palace,  and  have  often  no 
time  left  to  visit  the  Nishi-Hongwanji.  There  is 
little  of  exceptional  interest  in  the  former,  while 
in  the  latter  they  can  see  the  best  art  that  Japan 
has  produced. 

I also  made  a point  this  time  of  seeing  the 
popular  Shinto  temple  of  Inari.  I went  with 
my  young  friend  Masuda.  It  was  either  the 
Day  of  the  Horse  or  the  Day  of  the  Serpent, 
according  to  the  old  reckoning,  for  crowds  of 
country-folk  come  here  on  those  two  days  and 
bring  offerings  to  the  shrine  of  the  popular 
goddess.  They  also  place  food  near  the  foxes’ 
holes  in  the  grounds,  but  whether  these  attendants 
on  Inari  actually  eat  the  food,  or  whether  they 
even  exist  here,  I could  not  ascertain.  Their 
images  are  seen  in  plenty,  and  they  are  the  pro- 
totype of  the  numerous  stone  and  plaster  foxes 
met  with  all  over  .lapan. 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  309 


The  image  of  the  Rice  Gk)ddess  is  seldom 
visible,  but  I have  hardly  been  in  a hotel  or  tea- 
garden  without  seeing  a little  shrine  flanked  with 
her  pair  of  attendant  foxes. 

The  most  singular  sight  is,  however,  the 
hundreds  of  red  torii,  standing  so  close  together  as 
to  form  a continuous  colonnade  in  places,  and 
they  are  also  met  with  in  all  the  walks  in  the 
extensive  grounds  attached  to  the  temple. 

Should  a visitor  to  Kyoto  have  but  a week  at 
his  disposal,  I would  recommend  him  to  visit 
Inari’s  shrine,  in  spite  of  the  distance,  providing 
he  can  get  there  on  one  of  the  popular  days. 

If  he  must  see  an  Imperial  residence,  and  has 
obtained  the  permits,  let  him  go  to  Nijo  Castle 
rather  than  to  the  Palace.  Should  he  have  time 
for  neither  of  them,  he  may  console  himself  that 
Nishi-Hong^vanji  is  more  or  less  of  an  Imperial 
residence,  and  is  much  more  beautiful  than  the 
two  former. 

There  are  hundreds  of  shrines,  each  with  some 
especial  objects  of  interest,  but  when  time  is 
limited  it  is  well  to  devote  it  to  those  offering 
the  greatest  attractions.  The  apartments  of  Nishi- 
HongAvanji  contain  the  finest  art  production  not 
only  of  Kyoto,  but  of  all  .lapan.  Kyomizu-dera 


310  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


should  be  visited  for  the  beauty  of  its  situation 
and  surroundings.  Lovers  of  gardens  should  try 
and  see  Ginkakuji,  and  they  will  see  glimpses  of 
another  temple  garden  while  they  view  the  apart- 
ments at  Chion-in.  Kurudani  more  than  repays 
a visit,  and  the  temple  of  Sanjusangeiido  is  full 
of  interest. 

While  the  cherry  blossoms,  or  when  the  maple 
turns  to  crimson,  the  descent  of  the  Katsura-gawa 
rapids  will  make  a delightful  day’s  excursion. 
Should  the  visitor  miss  either  of  those  seasons, 
he  may  be  fortunate  enough,  as  1 was,  to  see  the 
river-banks  clothed  in  a crimson  mass  of  vdld 
azaleas. 

During  the  hot  weather,  a day  on  Lake  Biwa 
is  refreshing  ; he  can  visit  the  Maidera  Temple, 
the  famous  tree  of  Karasaki,  the  long  bridge  of 
Seta,  and  rest  in  tbe  beautiful  gardens  of  Hikone. 

Nara  can  be  seen  in  a day’s  excursion  from 
Kyoto.  The  park,  with  its  majestic  avenues  of 
cryptomerias  and  hundreds  of  moss-covered 
stone  lanterns,  as  well  as  the  deer,  who,  fearing 
no  evil,  gather  round  the  \dsitor  to  be  fed,  com- 
bine to  make  Nara  a place  which  will  long  be 
remembered  from  amongst  the  many  beautiful 
places  seen  in  .Japan. 


ATAMI  AND  CONCLUSION  311 


Better  to  have  but  a week  in  Kyoto  than  not 
to  have  seen  it ; but  those  fortunate  enough  to 
be  able  to  spend  a month  there  may  daily  find 
something  to  admire,  something  to  interest,  and 
a fund  of  entertainment  in  seeing  its  people  at 
their  daily  work  and  joining  them  in  their  innocent 
recreations. 

The  cold  weather — for  February  is  the  coldest 
month  in  Japan — lessened  my  regret  at  having 
to  leave  this  enchanting  city.  Had  I stayed 
another  month,  to  witness  the  witchery  of  spring’s 
awakening  in  the  beauteous  temple  gi’ounds,  it 
would  have  added  tenfold  to  my  sorrow  in  leave- 
taking. 

The  more  genial  climate  of  Hong-Kong,  and 
the  warm  welcome  I would  receive  from  the 
friends  I had  made  there,  hastened  my  departure. 

I bid  farewell  to  the  numerous  .Japanese  with 
whom  I had  come  in  friendly  contact  in  their 
own  beautiful  expression,  “ Sayonara.”  And 
farewell  to  the  patient  reader  who  has  followed 
me  so  far  in  these  reminiscences  of  “ Japan  and 
the  Japanese. 


INDEX 


Actors,  51,  79,  273 
Advertisements,  5,  21,  38,  256, 
289 

Americans,  199,  302 
Architecture,  61 
Arima,  23-29 
Art,  59,  60,  61 

Artist’s  troubles,  33,  34,  35,  36 
Asakusa,  265,  266,  267,  288 
Ashinoyu,  200,  201,  202 
Atami,  293-305 
Azaleas,  see  Flowers 

Babies,  5 

Bai-en,  plum  orchard,  296,  303, 
304 

Bamboo,  22 

shoots  for  food,  68,  173 
Bamboo,  Miss,  or  Take  San, 
64-70 

Bath,  133,  148,  168-173,  204 
Baths,  sulphur,  202,  203 
Beddinp;,  135-138,  175,  176 
Beer,  113, 162 
Bells,  52-54 
Bento,  126,  127 

Birthday  of  the  boys,  festival  of, 
3,4 

Biwa,  Lake,  310 
Blow,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  75 
Building  to  resist  earthquakes, 
153 


Carp,  2 

imitated  in  cotton,  3,  4 
Chadai,  174,  175 


Chamberlain,  Professor  Basil 
Hall,  preface,  29,  35,  85,  107, 
150,  224 

Charcoal  brazier,  see  Hibachi 
Cherry-blossom,  see  Flowers 
Children,  4,  79,  121 
Chinamen  employed  in  banks, 
213,  214 

Chinese  eharacters,  5 

integrity  eompared  to 
Japanese,  310 
Chion-in,  see  Temples 
Chopsticks,  65-69,  145 
Christianity,  85,  86 
Christmas  at  Atami,  296-300 
Chrysanthemums,  see  Flowers 
Chuzenji,  251-255 
Cinematograph,  290 
Clothes,  5,  118,  123,  289 
Concubines,  104,  120 
Cottages,  30,  139 
Cotto,  121 
I Courtesy  of  the  people,  28,  41, 
I 59,  245,  246,  291 
1 Cranes,  56,  264 
Crauford,  Miss,  201,  243 
Crickets,  160 

Cryptomerias,  231, 233,  242,  244, 
258 

avenues  of,  228,  230,  310 
Cult,  see  Religion 
Curios,  4,  215 

Daibutsu  at  Kamakura,  306 
I Daikon,  180 
Daiya-gawa,  229,  251,  252 
Dances,  religious,  50,  51,  52 
313 


314  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Dancing-girls,  see  Geisha 
Dishes,  66,  67,  68,  116, 135,  264, 
265 

Divorce,  104,  282 

Earthquakes,  61,  148-154 
Eating-houses,  66,  116,  264 
Etiquette,  66,  75,  118 
Evil-averting  pillar,  235 

Fans,  49,  80,  175 
Festivals,  3,  42,  44,  50,  111-115, 
266,  308 

Fires,  154,  155,  156 
Fish,  4,  69,  135,  265 
eaten  raw,  116,  117 
Fish-shops,  37 
Flower-arrajiging,  297-299 
Flowers : 

azaleas,  38,  56 
cherry-blossom,  26,  27,  262 
chrysanthemums,  261-268 
convolvulus,  or  morning 
glory,  92,  93 
hydrangeas,  109 
irises,  73,  74 
lilies,  89,  139 
lotus,  74,  108,  109 
oleander,  83 
peonies,  59 

pomegranate  - blossom,  97, 
98 

wistaria,  17,  33,  57 
Flowers,  wild,  194 
azaleas,  310 
gentian,  158 
hydrangeas,  158,  199 
Lilimn  auratum,  158 
monk’s-hood,  158,  199 
Food,  180,  202,  264,  280;  see 
also  Dishes 

Western,  26,  62,  182,  202 
Foot-gear,  18-20 
Forty-seven  Ronins,  270-273 
Fudo,  see  Gods 
Fujikawa  rapids,  142,  143 
Fujiyama,  130,  131,  143,  144, 
158,  193 

Funatso,  131,  139 


Gardens,  38,  56,  181,  190,  256, 
262,  304 
Geishas,  62,  117 
Geta,  see  Foot-gear 
Geyser  at  Atami,  306 
Gion,  see  Temples 
Gion  Matsuri,  111 
Gods  and  goddesses,  84 
Amida,  88 
Buddha,  90,  97 
Daibutsu,  306 
Dainichi,  247 
Fudo,  247 
Inari,  43 
Jiso,  198,  219 
Kwannon,  265 
Ni-6,  266 
Susa-no-o,  111 
Goldfish,  69,  111,  114 
Gongs,  43 

Gordon- Smith,  Mr.,  307 
Gotemba,  126 
Guides,  71,  126 

Hair-dressing,  7 

Hair  hawsers,  87 

Hakone,  192 

Hannya  cascade,  252 

Hara-kiri,  273 

Hata  Pass,  190 

Hedges,  trimmed,  187 

Hermit,  the,  245,  258 

Higashi  Hongwanji,  see  Temples 

Higashi  Otani,  see  Temples 

Higuchi,  see  Hotels 

Hikone,  gardens  at,  310 

Hirochige,  75 

Hodo  cascade,  252 

Hokusai,  75 

Honesty  of  the  country  folk, 
212 

Hotels,  foreign  : 

Higuchi  Hotel,  Shoji,  185 
Tor  Hotel,  Kobe,  15,  32 
Yaami,  Kyoto,  45,  58 
Hotels,  Japanese  (Yadoya),  131, 
166,  182,  192,  202,  228,  255, 
259 

Hydrangeas,  see  Flowers 


INDEX 


315 


Ichiko,  the,  266 

Icho,  see  Trees 

lemitsu,  241 

leyasu,  225 

Imperial  palaces,  308 

Inari,  see  Gods  and  goddesses 

Inland  sea,  11 

Inquisitiveness,  33 

Irises,  see  Flowers 

“ Jap  ” term  resented,  303 
Japanese  characteristics,  33,  35, 
122, 135, 188,204, 218,  245,291 
Jiso,  Eokudono,  see  Gods 
Judas-tree,  94 

Kago,  134 

Kagura  dance,  50,  115 
Kamakura,  306  • 

Kamogawa,  45,  115 
Kanocogni,  Mr.,  59,  259,  307 
Kano  school,  55,  233,  307 
Katsura-gawa,  310 
Kawaguchi,  Lake,  134 
Kegon  Falls,  253 
Kimonos,  see  Clothes 
Kitchener,  visit  of  Lord,  249 
Kiyomizu,  see  Temples 
Kiyomizu  Yaki,  93 
Kobe,  15 
Kobo-Daishi,  197 
Kofu,  166 
Kosu,  189 

Kurumaya,  see  Rickshaw-men 
Kwannon.see  Gods  and  goddesses 
Kyoto,  45,  306 

Lafcadio  Hearn,  Professor,  pre- 
face, 26,  85 
Language,  71 

Lanterns,  paper,  9,  42,  49,  111, 
114 

stone  and  bronze,  38,  54, 
194,  232,  244,  266 
Legs  of  children  to  be  lengthened, 
119 

Lihes,  see  Flowers 
Lotus,  see  Flowers 
roots  as  food,  173 


Mang^anji,  230 
Manners,  see  Courtesy 
Maples,  57,  251,  269 
Marriage,  101,  282 
Maryama  Park,  46,  110 
Mason,  Mr.  W.  B.,  224 
Masuda,  Mr.,  83,  98,  112,  308 
Matsuzaka,  see  Hotels 
Matting,  63,  147,  167 
Meiji,  10 
Meikos,  121 
Mikados,  10,  241 
Milne,  Professor,  152 
Mitford,  A.  B.,  preface,  270, 
273 

Miyanoshita,  200 
Mo]i,  1 

Monier -Williams,  247 
Mosquitoes,  136,  159,  176 
Mourning,  white  the  colour  of, 
105 

Mukojima,  261 
Mulberry-trees,  162 
Murray’s  guide  to  J apan,  224 

Nagoya,  306 
Nakodo,  103,  282 
Nara,  310 

Nature-worship,  131 
Nemuri-no  Neko,  or  “ Sleeping 
Cat,”  238 

Nescm,  63,  135,  167,  280 
New-Year  festivities,  303 
Ni-ju-go  Bosatsu,  197 
Nikko,  223 
Ni-o-Mon,  231 
Nishinouami,  140 
Nobumassa,  56 
Nomi,  136,  147 
Nomiura,  Messrs.,  84 
Nudity,  148,  169 

Obi,  or  sash,  68,  168 
Octopus,  68 

Odawara  Bay,  189,  294 
Odin,  M.,  215,  307 
Oleander,  83 
0 Tabisho,  111 


316  JAPAN  AND  THE  JAPANESE 


Painters,  Japanese,  55,  59,  76 
Paintings,  55,  76,  233 
Paper,  oiled,  165 
slides,  see  Shoji 
umbrellas,  39,  165 
Parks,  46,  110,  183,  284 
Parsons,  Mr.  Alfred,  109 
Patents,  205 
Pierre  Loti,  5 
Pilgrims,  188 
Pipes,  78 
Police,  112,  145 
regulations,  147 

Prints,  76  | 

Kain-coats,  164,  188  j 

Rainy  season,  93  : 

Redesdale,  Lord,  see  A.  B.  Mit-  ! 

ford  { 

Relics,  86  i 

Religion,  111 ; see  Buddhism  ; 

and  Shintoism  > 

Rice,  70,  180  | 

Rickshaws,  9,  21,  45  ! 

Rickshaw-men,  22,  29,  33,  36, 
47,  81 

Rokkosan,  22,  30  j 

Sacred  Bridge,  229  ! 

Sake,  66  i 

Salvation  Army,  85,  286 
Samisen,  114,  121 
Samurai,  41,  189 
Sandals,  see  Foot-gear 
Satow,  Sir  Ernest,  247  | 

Schools,  121,  145  ! 

Sculptors,  55 
Servants,  100,  274 
Shakwa  garden,  262 
Shampooer,  the  blind,  176 
Shijo  Bridge,  113 
Shimogamo,  44,  50 
Shimonoseki,  9 
Shintoism,  84,  145 
Shinto  priests,  43,  147 
Shodo  Shonin,  230  i 

Shoji,  142  j 

Shoji,  or  paper  slides,  30,  138,  | 
250  1 


Shows,  111,  114,  288 
Shrines,  42,  145  ; see  also 
Temples 
Sight-seeing,  71 
Silk  trade,  161 
Sketching,  27,  33,  42,  95 
Sobriety  of  the  people,  188,  250 
256,  291 
Socks,  75 

Soga  Brethren,  195 
Sotoba,  89 
Stage,  see  Theatres 
Stoves  used  as  muff-warmers, 
243 

Susa-no-o,see  Gods  and  goddesses 

Tahi,  digitated  sock,  19,  166 
Taft,  President,  263 
Take,  see  Nesan 
Take-shiba,  see  Hotels 
Tahemona,  63,  155 
“ Tales  of  Old  Japan,”  see 
A.  B.  Mitford 
Taylor,  Mrs.  Basil,  200 
Temples  : 

Chion-in,  53 
Ginkakuji,  310 
Gion,  53,  111 
Higashi  Hongwanji,  87 
Ikuta,  33 
Inari,  43,  308 
Kiyomizu-dera,  93,  309 
Kurudani,  310 
Nishi  Hongwanji,  307 
Sanjusangendo,  310 
Senkakuji,  272 
Shimogamo,  44 

Tea-drinking,  70,  160,  228,  250, 
257 

Tea-houses,  160,  194,  252 
Telegraph-poles,  9 
Tents,  63 
Theatres,  77,  274 
Toilet,  170 

Tokaido,  Hirochige’s  Fifty-five 
Stages  of  the,  75, 189 
Tokaido  road,  189,  194 
Toko,  see  Bedding 
Tokugawa  dynasty,  225,  240 


INDEX 


317 


Tokyo,  223,  259 
Tombs,  90,  195,  238,  270 
Topsyturvydom,  6 
Tora  Gozen,  see  Soga  Brethren 
Torii,  33 
Tourists,  122,  198 
Tracts,  distribution  of,  256 
Trade  competition,  215 
morality,  204 
Trains,  229 

Tramways,  129,  189,  260 
Tsuda,  Mr.,  126,  226,  298,  306 

Ubaguchi,  162 
Ubaguchitogi,  160 
Ueno,  284 
U/.iki,  184 

Vendetta,  195 

Waiters,  15 
Waitresses,  see  Nesan 


j Waraji,  or  straw  sandals,  188, 
I 213 

Water-colours,  210 
i Waterfalls,  244,  252,  253 
Whisky,  256 
Winsor  and  Newton,  210 
Wistaria,  see  Flowers 
Wit  of  geisha,  124 
Women,  position  of,  64,  99,  173, 
282 

Wood-carving  at  Nikko,  234 

Yaami  Hotel,  Ky5to,  45,  58 
Yadoya,  see  Japanese  hotels 
Yakushi,  233 
Yamanaka,  Lake,  130 
Yedo,  former  name  of  Tokyo, 
see  Tokyo 

Yoritomo,  founder  of  the  Sho- 
gunate,  195 
Yoshida,  127,  131 
Yoshiwara,  the,  285 


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Japan  & the  Japanese 


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